Kota is currently battling a mental health crisis. Trampled under massive academic pressure, students are committing suicide and the number of cases that are being reported each year is concerning, to say the least. Anybody who has appeared for JEE and NEET exams in the country knows the kind of toll the academic pressure and parental expectations take on a young mind. On top of that, students at Kota are forced to dedicate endless hours to study, leaving little to no room for recreational activities or just a break.
Another case of suicide has been reported from Kota. This is the second case in January 2024. An 18-year-old JEE aspirant died by suicide two days before the exam was scheduled. She left a heartbreaking suicide note in which she called herself a “loser” and the “worst daughter”.
According to India Today, she hanged herself in a room of her house in the Shiksha Nagri area of Kota. The suicide note read, “Mummy and Papa, I can’t do JEE. So, I am committing suicide. I am a loser. I am the reason. I am the worst daughter. Sorry, Mummy and Papa. This is the last option.”
The exam was set to take place on January 31.
Just a couple of days ago, on January 23, a student from Uttar Pradesh died by suicide. He was also 17-18 years old and was preparing for NEET. He was found hanging in his room.
Several people online raised serious concerns about the rise in student suicide cases in Kota and slammed the Indian education system that puts immense pressure on young students. Here’s what some of them have to say:
18 years, if not the society pressure and the pressure of JEE at such young age, she would have been alive now. Indian education system is rotten and needs to be reformed.
— Rohith (@_rohithverse) January 29, 2024
Hey bhagwan 🙏🙏
Kota has become a hub of this rat race for JEE and every year many students who can’t handle this pressure take such steps.
Parents should stop putting the baggage of their expecting on their kids… IIT isn’t everything and getting into IIT doesn’t guarantee…
— Akshay 𝕏 (@akshayji10) January 29, 2024
Yeah, the education system is just bad. And what will the government do about it? Nothing; they will rather debate about mandirs and mosques on news channels.
— Atharva Deosthale (@athudeosthale) January 29, 2024
True.
Society and parental expectations failed her.
— Mahesh Patidar (@imaheshpatidar) January 29, 2024
Heart breaking , the amount of pressure put on young minds countless
— Sathish (@Think_4_think) January 29, 2024
The expectations of parents killed a daughter.
— The-Lit दलित (@be_happy_guyz) January 29, 2024
It’s high time the authorities at Kota came up with concrete ways to address and resolve this problem.