Amid growing awareness about the severe mental health crisis faced by students undergoing preparation for competitive exams like the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE), particularly given Kota's status as a major hub for JEE training centers, the district administration has taken a contentious approach to address the issue.
The spring-loaded fans will be installed in all hostel rooms as a preventive measure to avert students from committing suicide.
What Does The Order Say?
The order, issued by Kota district collector Om Prakash Bunkar, stated, "In an effort to provide mental encouragement and ensure the well-being of students residing or studying within these accommodations, and to mitigate the rising instances of suicides among coaching students in Kota city, all hostel and paying guest (PG) operators across the state are instructed to incorporate a security spring mechanism into the fans in each room, as deliberated during the meeting held on Saturday last week."
During the meeting, the district administration also emphasised that proprietors of coaching institutes, hostels, and PGs should adhere to a decree established in December 2022. This decree specifies a weekly break for students, a maximum class size of 80, along with mandatory psychological assessments for both students and educators.
The notification further stated that establishments and lodgings failing to adhere to this order will face severe and requisite actions against the proprietors.
The springs in the ceiling fans are engineered to instantly dislodge upon detecting a load, thereby disengaging the fan from the ceiling and preventing hanging attempts. Additionally, the fans will be equipped with sensors that trigger an alarm if a suicide attempt is detected.
Suicide Rate In Kota
Earlier this week, on August 15, an 18-year-old student who was preparing for the Indian Institutes of Technology Joint Entrance Examination tragically took his own life.
Regrettably, this incident is the 22nd reported suicide in Kota for the year 2023, with the fourth one recorded solely within the month of August. In Mahaveer Nagar, a 17-year-old student preparing for the JEE from Bihar tragically died by suicide on August 11.
Another incident occurred on August 4, when another 17-year-old engineering aspirant from Bihar also died by suicide in the same area. Preceding that, on August 3, a NEET aspirant from Uttar Pradesh reportedly died by suicide in Vigyan Nagar. Law enforcement authorities have revealed that both of the latter two individuals had recently relocated to Kota, arriving there just four months prior.
Furthermore, according to police records, there were no reported suicides in Kota for the years 2020 and 2021. However, the data indicates that there were 15 cases in 2022, 18 in 2019, 20 in 2018, seven in 2017, 17 in 2016, and 18 in 2015.
Suggested Reading: Student Suicides At All-Time High: Time To Put This Issue At Centrestage Before It's Too Late
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