17-yr-old NEET aspirant dies by suicide in Rajasthan's Kota

A 17-year-old student, who was preparing for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) for admission in undergraduate medical courses, died by suicide in Rajasthan’s Kota district, police on Thursday said, the 12th such incident in the coaching hub this year.

Last year, 27 students, preparing for various competitive examinations, died by suicide in the district.

According to Dadabdi station house officer (SHO) Naresh Meena, the student from Jharkhand hanged himself from a ceiling fan in his hostel room in the district.

“The incident came to light on Thursday afternoon after the victim’s family approached hostel authorities, saying he was not responding to calls since Wednesday night. The hostel staff also realised that he had not left his room all morning (on Thursday). They broke open the door and found his body,” the SHO said.

The deceased was studying at a coaching centre in Kota for around two years, Meena said. “However, it is yet to be ascertained whether he attempted NEET this year and whether the results caused him any mental stress,” he said.

“No suicide note was recovered. The body has been sent for an autopsy. His parents have also been informed. We will question them about any behavioural changes in the deceased in the last few days,” he added.

Police are also probing why the hostel did not install spring-loaded fans, as per the district administration’s guidelines, the SHO said. “An inquiry against the hostel authorities will be initiated once the police submit a report to the district collector in this regard,” he said.

Amid a surge in suicides among students last year, the district administration on August 18 had ordered all hostels and paying guest (PG) accommodations to install spring-loaded fans in rooms “to provide students mental support and security”.

Kota is the centre of India’s test-prep business, estimated to be worth ₹10,000 crore annually, according to officials in the district administration. Students from around the country arrive here in huge numbers after completing Class X, and register in residential test-prep institutes. They also enroll in schools, most of which are largely for purposes of certification.

Students attend classes only in the test-prep institutes, which prepare them for their Class XII examination, but more importantly, entrance examinations such as NEET and Joint Entrance Examination (JEE). Some students find the grind stressful, especially because they are away from their families.

On June 15, a 17-year-old JEE aspirant from Bihar died by suicide at his paying guest accommodation. Days earlier, on June 6, an 18-year-old NEET aspirant from Madhya Pradesh also took the extreme step.

In April, two NEET students from Haryana and Rajasthan’s Dholpur died by suicide in a span of 48 hours.