Student Dies By Suicide In Kota, Not Due To Study Stress, Say Cops

A student preparing for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) examination has died by suicide in Rajasthan's Kota, officials said on Monday. The student, Ankush Meena, was studying at a coaching institute in the city.

Officials claim his death may not be linked to study stress, which is known to have driven many students over the edge in the past few years.

Personal reasons could have led to the suicide, initial investigations suggest.

Ankush was a resident of Rajasthan's Sawai Madhopur district. He had come to Kota to prepare for the NEET examination.

His body has been sent for post-mortem and further investigation is underway, officials said.

Kota, a hub of coaching institutes for students aspiring to join medical or engineering colleges, has been dogged by suicides in recent years, blamed mostly on extreme stress.

Last month, at least six incidents of students dying by suicide emerged from Kota. On January 21, a student from Assam's Nagaon died by suicide. Hours before that, a young woman from Ahmedabad in Gujarat preparing for the NEET medical entrance exams was found hanging in her hostel room.

Rajasthan Education Minister Madan Dilawar claimed "love affairs" were one reason students were killing themselves. He also called upon parents to not pressure their children into pursuing degrees and careers they did not want to.

Last year, there were reports of 17 such deaths in Kota, while in 2023, at least 23 students died by suicide in the city.