Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot gave officials a 15-day deadline to deliver a report after ordering the formation of a committee to make recommendations for reducing student suicide rates.
The Chief Minister also instructed the officials that the committee should include members from coaching institutes, parents, and doctors in addition to other interested parties. Within the allotted 15-day period, this report must be submitted.
The chief minister voiced his concern over the rising rates of suicide among students in the city during a review meeting on cases involving IIT and NEET hopefuls in the coaching hotspot of Kota.
This year, there have been twenty or more suicides among Kota students taking competitive exams.
The CM also highlighted the burden being put on students studying in class 9 and 10.
“Enrolling Class 9 and 10 students in coaching institutes puts extra burden on them since they also have to appear for board exams. You call students of classes 9th and 10th. You are committing a crime in a way. It is as if IIT is god. As soon as students come to coaching, they are enrolled in fake schools. It is also a fault of the parents,” the chief minister said.
Further, asserting that it is a grave concern that 18-19 students from Kota have committed suicide, Gehlot earlier in the day, said, “I want to know what their problems are. The management of various coaching centres has been called. We will talk to them and get their feedback about what the government can do.”
He further said that the students are enrolled in dummy schools and they do not go to schools and they have dual burden of clearing board exams and to prepare for entrance exam.
“It is time for improvement. We cannot see young students committing suicide,” he said.
Further, referring to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data on student suicides, Gehlot said, “According to NCRB, around 13,000 students died by suicide in 2021. Maharashtra recorded the maximum number of suicides with 1,834 deaths, followed by Madhya Pradesh (1,308), Tamil Nadu (1,246), Karnataka (855) and Odisha (834). The problem can be solved with a collective effort.”
The number of such suicides in Rajasthan was 633, which is less than other states, but the the state government is ‘serious and sensitive’ towards the issue, an official statement said.
Education Minister BD Kalla, Chief secretary Usha Sharma, DGP Umesh Mishra and other officers were also present at the meeting.
