As she listened to the evening news, Geeta Kumari's (name changed) blood ran cold. Shocked by the reports of a 17-year-old boy’s suicide at a coaching institute in Kota, she frantically called up her son who, too, was preparing for National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) there. The calls went unanswered. She started panicking. It was 9.30pm. She kept on calling. Finally, he answered the call, much to her relief.
Geeta calls Gautam (name changed) almost every day. He is a relatively bright student, who aspires to become a doctor. He joined a NEET coaching centre in Kota in April this year.
“We always wanted him to choose his own career. He wanted to be a doctor and as parents we support him. However, the increasing number of suicides happening around him is worrying,” said Geeta, a resident of Uttar Pradesh.
Though Gautam’s family has never pressurised him regarding his studies, it is not so in the case of a vast majority of students who arrive in Kota to shape their future.
Around 2 lakh students from across the country have enrolled in coaching institutes in Kota this year. So far, 27 student suicides have been reported in the district – already the highest number of student deaths in a year, since 2014.
Prakash K. (name changed), an 18-year-old from Bihar who dropped out last year from one of the IIT coaching institutes, said that Kota is not a place for ‘trial and error’. “If you have a tiny doubt about signing up for coaching, then you should not opt for it. I have seen my batchmates suffering because most of them were in the centres due to family pressure. Both mentally and physically, it will take a toll on you if you don't match up to the rigorous coaching. I had to drop out because of a family emergency,” said Prakash, who is planning to restart coaching classes next year.
Annually, over 2.5 lakh students move to Kota to prepare for competitive exams, including the Joint Entrance Exam (JEE) for engineering and the NEET.
Alarmed by the spate of suicides, the Kota district administration is adopting several measures to manage the situation. Hostel staff, mess workers and other service providers have been roped in to watch out for symptoms of stress and depression among students. They have also been provided professional training in psychological and behavioural counselling.
“We have instructed all hostel wardens to monitor the stress levels of their students. Though student suicides are not uncommon in Kota, 2023 has seen the highest number of suicides in many years. We are providing classes to hostel staff and wardens on the steps to be taken if they come across any student going through depression or stress,” said Naveen Mittal, president of Hostel Association, Kota.
Authorities say that in most cases, it is the parents who turn out to be the ‘culprits’. "It is important that the parents understand their children. I have personally come across cases where even if some children want to leave their coaching centres and return home, parents urge them to stick on and complete a year at Kota. They somehow have the notion that their kid will be able to score high marks if they put in a bit more effort. But sometimes, it is not the case,” said Mittal.
There are around 3,500 hostels in Kota. A majority of the students there are from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
“Academic pressure, relationship problems, history of mental illness in families, and mental fatigue are among the many reasons that push students to take the drastic step. Parents are expected to play a big role of comforting the children, but unfortunately, in many cases, it is not so. Understanding shifts in students’ behaviour and seeking timely psychological intervention is the key. Counselling is very important not just for students, but for parents as well,” said Dr M.L. Agarwal, a psychiatrist in Kota. "Many coaching institutes in Kota are taking the matter seriously and are collaborating with psychologists to help students battle performance pressure. The Kota police has also started a 24x7 helpline to help students in distress," he added.
Recreational activities
In order to divert focus from the persistent atmosphere of academic stress, hostel managements are now coming up with recreational activities such as live music band performances. “We don’t unnecessarily impose any restrictions on the children. Of course, there are basic rules they are supposed to follow. There are no restrictions on using phones or going out. The hostel gates are closed only by 9pm,” said Mittal. "Since the children are away from their homes, we encourage all of them to take part in festivals and cultural programmes. Recently, for Ganesh Chaturthi, programmes were organised in all hostels," he said.
The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report reveals that Kota had witnessed a rise in suicide cases by 61.3 per cent in 2014, and most of these were cases of student suicides. Back then, the reasons cited were failure in exams, failed love affairs and family problems. Forty-five students had died by suicide that year after failing exams. Subsequently, joint efforts by the institutes, the district administration and medical centres were successful in bringing down the number of suicides among students to 18 in 2015, 17 in 2016, 7 in 2017, 20 in 2018, 18 in 2019 and 15 in 2022.
Way forward
Researchers who have been keenly observing the Kota suicides have noted that most of the suicides occur on the day the results of the fortnightly exams are announced. Therefore, certain suggestions were put forward to the coaching institutes. These include changes to the present ranking system, that leads to stress among students. In order to ease the students into the new competitive environment, at least in the initial months, the ranking system could be avoided. Grades, which place groups of children in result brackets, could be used instead of ranking the entire class.
Fees in these institutes come to around Rs 1.5-2.5 lakh per annum. Usually, the fees are collected in advance and in two major instalments. If the fees are collected on a quarterly basis, it would be less of a financial burden for the parents, as many are reluctant to allow their children to leave the coaching centre in between, having already paid the full fees in advance.
Dealing with academic stress
Nowadays, the support systems within families is getting weaker. “Parents should be able to listen to their children non-judgmentally. It is a reality that they are unable to empathise with their own children. There has always been comparisons with others, but times and awareness levels of the students have changed. Despite counselling, parents are not able to take their child's feelings seriously, as they fail to empathise with them,” said Dr Arun B. Nair, associate professor, Department of Psychiatry, Thiruvanathapuram Medical College.
Nair also added that it was important that the children should also be convinced that their issues have been taken seriously. "When it comes to relationships especially, parents fail to correctly comprehend usual emotions that can occur in adolescents. For them, such emotions are non-existent, and immaterial. When stress from relationship issues mounts, it creates a feeling of hopelessness, leading to children taking drastic steps,” he said.
Space at home to discuss relationships, sexuality, sexual orientation, and substance use, is important. Outright criticism or placing the blame squarely on children, is not the solution. “Signs of depression should not go unnoticed. Parents should know how to spot early signs of depression and when to seek professional help,” said Dr Vikram S., a psychologist based in Chennai.
Pervasive sadness, reduced interest in previously pleasurable activities, unexplained tiredness, sleep disturbance, loss of appetite, and lack of concentration that may impact academic performance, are some of the early signs of depression.
When away from their homes, a keen lookout for these has to be ensured at the coaching centres. Perceived loneliness is something that leads to suicides in most scenarios.
Mental health first aid
* Approach the person in distress and proactively inquire what is troubling him or her.
* Listen non-judgmentally till the end, without intruding or trivialising the concerns.
* If the stress is due to misconceptions, then give them the correct information. If it is a genuine issue, then reassure them.
* Encourage them to seek professional help.
* Encourage social support to prevent isolation.
