Kota sees 38% dip in student suicides as initiatives bear fruit | India News

KOTA: Rajasthan’s Kota, the coaching hub for medical and engineering aspirants that has been in headlines for student suicides in recent years, saw a 38% decline in such cases in 2024 compared to the previous year, with 16 cases documented this year as against 26 in 2023.
The district administration attributed the dip in student suicides to strict implementation of protocol and guidelines for coaching centres and hostels, and several additional initiatives to ensure a stress-free academic environment under its direct supervision this year. Among the other initiatives credited are WHO-protocol gate-keeper training for hostel wardens, SOS Help, student engagement programmes like ‘Dinner with Collector’ and ‘Samwad’, and the police’s Kalika Squad to ensure the safety for female students.
Speaking to TOI on Monday, Kota district collector Dr Ravindra Goswami said, “The reduction in suicides is substantial and our efforts (to curb them) are yielding results, and we expect this trend to continue.”
Goswami mentioned his personal interaction with over 25,000 coaching students throughout the year through various initiatives, providing career guidance and addressing their concerns.
The district administration, alongside coaching stakeholders, also introduced ‘Kota Cares’ during the three-day Kota Mahotsav that concluded last Wednesday. “KotaCares emphasises that the city has provided coaching to over one crore students nationwide, significantly influencing their careers. The initiative reaffirms, through coaching alumni collaboration, that Kota maintains its standards with enhanced facilities and environment,” the district collector said.
Coaching industry stakeholders note that Kota suffered in 2024 due to the negative publicity over the coaching students’ deaths, despite not being among the top 30 cities in India as per NCRB’s suicide data. This situation, combined with new central regulatory guidelines and the establishment of approximately 100 Kota institute branches nationwide, has affected the coaching hub’s annual revenue.