Police have recovered the body and the boy's family members have been informed. (Representational)
Another student preparing for competitive exams in Kota has died by suicide, adding to the disturbing trend of student suicides in the country's biggest coaching hub.
Mohammed Zaid, originally from Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh, had been preparing for NEET, the all-India entrance examination for admission to medical colleges. He lived in a hostel in Kota's Jawahar Nagar area. Last night, he was found hanging in his room. Zaid was reportedly preparing for his second attempt at NEET.
Police have recovered the body and informed the teenager's family members. The autopsy will be conducted once they reach Kota. No suicide note has been found yet, and police are looking into what might have pushed Zaid to take this step.
The incident, meanwhile, has come as another setback to government authorities and Kota coaching centres in their attempts to tackle student suicides. As many as 26 students died by suicide at the Rajasthan coaching hub last year.
The then Ashok Gehlot government had last year issued guidelines to coaching centres to help reduce students' stress to prevent such unfortunate incidents. The Centre, too, last week put out a series of guidelines for the coaching centres. These included a ban on enrolling students below 16 and instructions to ensure recreation for students.