Addressing the Increasing Suicides Among IIT, NEET, and JEE Preparation Students in Kota: How to Prevent Tragedies
In recent years, India has witnessed a disturbing rise in student suicides, particularly among those preparing for competitive exams such as the IIT-JEE, NEET, and other prestigious entrance exams. Kota, Rajasthan, often dubbed as India’s coaching hub, has been at the epicenter of this crisis. The stress of academic performance, the pressure from parents and society, and the grueling nature of preparation often overwhelm young students, leading to tragic outcomes.
In this article, we will explore why these suicides occur, specific cases that highlight the problem, and most importantly, practical steps that can be taken to prevent such tragedies.
The Pressure Cooker Environment of Kota
Kota, known for producing top-tier engineers and doctors, has become synonymous with academic success. However, the intense pressure it places on students is often overlooked. The entire ecosystem is designed to push students to their limits, but not everyone can cope with the stress of staying ahead in the competition. Some major stressors include:
1. Parental Pressure: Many students feel a heavy burden to meet their parents’ expectations, who invest significant financial and emotional resources into their children’s education. Failure to meet these expectations can result in fear of disappointment or shame.
2. Academic Pressure: The coaching centers in Kota function with a single-minded focus—getting students through the exams with high ranks. The sheer volume of study material, mock tests, and the constant pressure to perform often overwhelms students.
3. Isolation: Students living away from their families often experience isolation and loneliness, without the emotional support they might need to cope with their stress.
4. Comparison Culture: Constantly being ranked and compared with peers can damage self-esteem and create feelings of inferiority if the student is not performing well.
Cases of Suicides in Kota and the Stark Reality
1. Pratyusha’s Case (2019): Pratyusha, an aspiring IIT candidate, committed suicide after scoring lower than expected in her mock exams. Despite being a brilliant student, she couldn’t bear the fear of disappointing her parents and took the tragic step.
2. NEET Aspirant Anand’s Death (2020): Anand, who hailed from a small village in Uttar Pradesh, had moved to Kota with dreams of becoming a doctor. He had been preparing for NEET for two years but, unable to handle the pressure, took his own life, leaving a note apologizing to his parents for his failure.
3. Amit from Bihar (2021): Amit was 17 years old and was studying for the IIT-JEE exams in Kota. Despite constant warnings from his friends and teachers that he seemed too stressed, Amit kept his problems to himself. One day, overwhelmed by anxiety, he ended his life.
These are just a few examples that reflect the broader issue. According to the National Crime Records Bureau, over 400 students in India commit suicide every year due to academic pressures, with a significant percentage being from coaching institutes like those in Kota.
Addressing the Root Causes
While these examples are heart-wrenching, they are not unsolvable. The root cause of suicides in these scenarios often boils down to the immense pressure on students and their inability to cope with it. Here are ways to avoid these tragedies:
1. Fostering Emotional Resilience in Students
One of the primary factors leading to suicide is the inability to manage stress and emotional turmoil. Schools, parents, and coaching centers should focus on building emotional resilience in students from an early age.
• Mental Health Support: Coaching centers and schools should provide regular counseling sessions and make mental health support available. Having professional counselors on board who can help students manage stress, anxiety, and feelings of inadequacy is crucial.
• Helplines and Peer Support: Institutions should provide easy access to helplines or online support groups where students can share their experiences anonymously and seek help.
• Workshops and Mindfulness Training: Workshops on mindfulness, stress management, and time management can be beneficial for students. Mindfulness and meditation practices are scientifically proven to reduce stress and anxiety levels.
2. Creating a Balanced Approach to Learning
The current system is overwhelmingly focused on academic achievement. To avoid suicides, there needs to be a shift toward a balanced approach where students can engage in recreational activities and hobbies alongside their academic pursuits.
• Encouraging Extracurricular Activities: Students should be encouraged to participate in sports, music, or other hobbies. These activities can act as a great stress reliever and give students a break from their academic rigors.
• Scheduling Breaks: The study environment in places like Kota should incorporate more scheduled breaks, allowing students to recharge mentally. Too often, students are overworked without any downtime, which leads to burnout.
3. Parental Role in Reducing Pressure
Parents play a vital role in shaping their children’s attitudes toward success and failure. Often, parents unconsciously add to the pressure by expecting too much from their children.
• Open Communication: Parents should establish open lines of communication, where students feel comfortable sharing their struggles. Many students fear disappointing their parents, which adds to their mental burden.
• Focusing on Effort, Not Results: Instead of focusing only on ranks or scores, parents should appreciate the hard work and effort their child is putting in. Praise should not be conditional on success but on persistence.
4. Reforming Coaching Center Culture
The culture of coaching centers needs a drastic change. While their primary goal is to help students succeed in exams, this should not come at the cost of the students’ well-being.
• Setting Realistic Expectations: Coaching centers should focus on helping students set realistic and achievable goals. The idea that success only comes from a top rank needs to be replaced by a healthier perspective.
• Reducing the Toxic Comparison Culture: The practice of constantly ranking students and comparing them to one another creates a toxic culture. Centers should adopt a more collaborative environment where students help and support each other.
5. Institutional Interventions and Policy Reforms
There is a need for greater oversight from educational bodies and the government to ensure that students’ well-being is a priority in these competitive environments.
• Mandatory Counseling in Coaching Centers: Every coaching center should have mandatory mental health counseling services for students, along with periodic mental health check-ins.
• Strict Regulations on Workload: Coaching centers should be regulated to ensure they are not overwhelming students with excessive study material or tests.
• Creating Alternative Pathways to Success: The government and educational institutions must communicate that there are multiple pathways to success. Competitive exams like NEET and IIT-JEE are not the only routes to a successful career, and students should not feel like their future depends solely on these exams.
6. Promoting a Healthier Academic Culture in India
The national conversation around education needs to evolve. The pressure on students to crack exams like IIT-JEE and NEET often starts at a young age, with children being enrolled in coaching centers as early as Class 7 or 8.
• Rethinking the Definition of Success: Success needs to be redefined. It should no longer be about cracking a particular exam or getting into a prestigious institution. Instead, success should be measured in terms of personal growth, skills development, and overall well-being.
Conclusion
The suicides in Kota, and among IIT, NEET, and JEE aspirants, are preventable if we collectively address the root causes. Parents, coaching centers, educational institutions, and the government need to work together to reduce the immense pressure on students and provide them with the emotional support they need.
Mental health should be at the forefront of education reforms. We must create an environment where young minds are nurtured, not pushed to their breaking point. By fostering resilience, reducing pressure, and creating balanced learning environments, we can ensure that no more young lives are lost in pursuit of academic success.
