The popular web series The Kota Factory showed how the students get stressed while preparing for the IITs. The show focussed on the amount of mental trauma and emotional hurdles students face while preparing for one of the toughest exams in India, which also becomes the cause of some students succumbing to pressure and committing suicide.
Now, the reel story has turned into real. Two NEET aspirants, Avishkar Shambaji Kasle and Adarsh Raj, tragically took their own lives in Kota, Rajasthan, after a test.
Avishkar, an 18-year-old from Maharashtra, jumped from the sixth floor of a coaching institute minutes after his exam, succumbing to his injuries.
Adarsh Raj, a second-year student from Bihar, later hanged himself, seemingly due to fear of poor test results. Both students were diligently preparing for the highly competitive NEET exam.
This deeply distressing incident underscores the immense pressure faced by students in the Kota coaching hub. It is alarming that 24 students have died by suicide in Kota this year alone.
District Collector OP Bunkar’s intervention to halt tests for two months, install anti-suicide devices, and provide students with “free days” reflects a necessary step toward addressing the mental health challenges these students confront.
However, it also calls for broader systemic changes to reduce the intense stress on students preparing for such demanding exams in Kota.
