In the wake of suicide cases among students rising in Kota, Rajasthan, the district administration has come up with a solution of installing spring-loaded fans in hostels and PG facilities to curb such incidents.
Authorities have already started installing spring-loaded fans in all hostels and paying guest (PG) accommodations in Kota, known as a hub of coaching centres.
#WATCH | Spring-loaded fans installed in all hostels and paying guest (PG) accommodations of Kota to decrease suicide cases among students, (17.08) https://t.co/laxcU1LHeW pic.twitter.com/J16ccd4X0S
— ANI MP/CG/Rajasthan (@ANI_MP_CG_RJ) August 18, 2023
Raising concerns, around 20 suicide cases, especially among students, have been reported from Kota this year. There has been four deaths this month till now.
Stress has been laid on the mental health crisis faced by students preparing for the competitive exams. Health experts has pointed out the concern for a possible ‘copy cat syndrome’ with deaths among students on the rise.
“To provide mental support and security to students studying/living in them and to prevent suicides from increasing among coaching students in Kota city, all hostel/PG operators in the state are directed to install a security spring device in the fans at every room,” read the order released by Kota district collector Om Prakash Bunkar.
Reportedly, the springs in these fans will help access the increase in load effectively detaching the fan from the ceiling. Even sensors will be installed that would raise an alarm in case of an attempted suicide.
In the latest tragedy, an 18-year-old IIT-JEE aspirant from Gaya in Bihar died by suicide at his PG facility near Mahaveer Nagar in Kota.
According to circle inspector at Mahaveer Nagar Police Station, Paramjeet Patel, the deceased teen allegedly hanged himslef to an iron angle of his PG room door and committed suicide sometime on Tuesday.
Three other coaching students, including two IIT-JEE aspirants and one NEET-UG aspirant, have earlier this month also died in suspected suicide cases in Kota city, taking the toll of such cases this year since January to 20. Last year, at least 15 cases of suicide by coaching students were reported in the coaching hub.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot expressed concern over the rising suicide cases and urged the parents not to put pressure on their children. Amid surge in suicide cases, the local administration has earlier made psychological evaluations mandatory for students and teachers.
