CM Ashok Gehlot of Rajasthan orders the creation of a panel to investigate student suicides in Kot

As a result of the ongoing student suicide episodes in Kota, the chief minister of Rajasthan, Ashok Gehlot, has mandated the creation of a commission to investigate the situation and recommend preventative measures.

In Kota, which is renowned nationwide as the hub of coaching centers for engineering and medical entrance tests, at least 20 students have died by suicide so far this year. In all, there were 15 suicides in the previous year.

Gehlot said that parents are equally to blame for the problem since pupils are already under stress from entrance tests in grades 9 and 10.

Gehlot convened a meeting to assess the issue on Friday, two days after the most recent student suicide in Kota. He emphasized the pressure placed on class 9 and 10 children by saying that enrolling them in coaching facilities adds to their workload since they also have to stand for board examinations.

“You call ninth- and tenth-grade students. In certain ways, you are breaking the law. It’s as though IIT is the Almighty. Students that sign up for coaching are immediately enrolled in fictitious institutions. The parents are equally at blame…Students don’t attend school, but they are registered in fake institutions. According to Gehlot, who was speaking to PTI, “They have a twin load of passing board examinations and preparing for admission tests.

According to Gehlot, the group formed to investigate student suicides would include members from coaching facilities, parents, and physicians. The committee will deliver its findings in 15 days.

Additionally, according to Gehlot, students must attend six hours of coaching, plus additional lessons and weekly examinations.

“It’s time to become well. We cannot see young kids killing themselves, Gehlot stated.

When told that 14 out of the 21 students who died by suicide in Kota this year were from the institute, Gehlot reportedly questioned why this was the case. According to PTI, the CM was also informed that Allen coaching institute has the most students.

According to a representative of the institute, coaching institutes do not contact students in grades 9 or 10, but the educational system makes it so that parents want better options for their kids. Gehlot added that he was not specifically targeting any one institute but was curious as to why that particular institute had the highest rate of suicides.

According to PTI, Minister of State for Education Zahida Khan encouraged coaching facilities not to become “money-making machines,” adding that Gehlot said the issue affected not just Rajasthan but the whole nation.

Data on student suicides from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) were also addressed during the conference. According to NCRB, over 13,000 students committed suicide in 2021, with Maharashtra recording the highest number of suicides (1,834). Madhya Pradesh came in second with 1,308, followed by Tamil Nadu (1,246), Karnataka (855), and Odisha (834).

Although Rajasthan had less of these suicides than other states (633), the state administration is “serious and sensitive” about the problem, according to a statement released during the meeting.