According to officials, a student hailing from Uttar Pradesh purportedly took his own life in Kota, Rajasthan, yesterday. This tragic incident marks the 26th such occurrence in the city this year.

The student was reportedly self-preparing for the NEET examination.

Rajasthan attracts a significant number of students every year who come to the state for their engineering and medical entrance exam preparations. Over the past few years, there have been numerous instances of suicides linked to NEET, particularly in Kota, renowned as the coaching hub of Rajasthan. Many attribute these incidents to the immense academic pressure and the pervasive fear of failure among students.

Recent developments indicate that coaching centers are taking proactive steps to address this issue. They are involving hostel wardens, mess staff, and meal providers to monitor students in hostels and PG accommodations for signs of depression or stress. In response to the recent suicides, the district administration in Kota has instructed coaching institutes to suspend regular testing for students preparing for NEET and other competitive exams for the next two months.