Expressing concern over the rising cases of student suicide in Kota, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Friday directed officials to form a committee to provide suggestions on preventing them.
The committee will be composed of all stakeholders, including representatives from coaching institutes, parents and doctors, and it will submit its report in 15 days, Mr Gehlot said.
Twenty students preparing for competitive exams in Kota have died by suicide so far this year, authorities say. Last year, the figure was 15.
Speaking at a review meeting on suicide cases among IIT and NEET aspirants in the coaching hub, the chief minister highlighted the burden being put on students studying in class 9 and 10.
Enrolling Class 9 and 10 students in coaching institutes puts extra burden on them since they also have to appear for board exams, Mr Gehlot said.
"You call students of class 9th and 10th. You are committing a crime in a way. It is like as if IIT is god. As soon as students come to coaching, they are enrolled in fake schools. It is also a fault of the parents," the chief minister said.
"Students are enrolled in dummy schools and they do not go to schools. They have dual burden of clearing board exams and to prepare for entrance exam," he said.
Mr Gehlot said students have to attend six hours of coaching class, then attend extra classes and give weekly tests. "It is time for improvement. We cannot see young students committing suicide," he said.
The chief minister asked why maximum suicide cases in the city were from Allen coaching institute when he was informed that 14 out of 21 students who died by suicide in Kota this year were from the institute.
It was also informed to the CM that Allen institute has the maximum number of students.
A representative of the institute clarified that coaching institutes do not call students of class 9 or 10 but the education system is such that parents want better options for their children.
To this, Mr Gehlot said that he was not targeting any specific institute but wanted to know why the institute had the highest number of suicides.
Minister of State for Education Zahida Khan also urged coaching institutes not to turn into "money-making machines". The chief minister added that it was not just Rajasthan's but the entire country's problem.
The meeting also discussed National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data on student suicides at the meeting. According to NCRB, around 13,000 students died by suicide in 2021. Maharashtra recorded the maximum number of suicides with 1,834 deaths, followed by Madhya Pradesh (1,308), Tamil Nadu (1,246), Karnataka (855) and Odisha (834).
The number of such suicides in Rajasthan was 633, which is less than other states, but the the state government is "serious and sensitive" towards the issue, a statement issued after the meeting said.
Education Minister BD Kalla, Chief secretary Usha Sharma, DGP Umesh Mishra and other officers were also present at the meeting.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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