Kota Suicide Case: Two NEET aspirants in Kota commit suicide after exams

Kota Suicide Case: This Sunday in Kota, Rajasthan, two NEET candidates committed suicide immediately after taking the exam. The victims were identified as Avishkar Shambaji Kasle, age 18, and Adarsh Raj, a second-year student.

Avishkar perished when he jumped from the sixth floor of a coaching institute at 3:15 p.m., scant minutes after finishing an exam. CCTV footage installed on the premises captured that despite being hurried to a hospital, his life could not be saved.

A few hours later, at approximately 7 p.m., Adarsh Raj, a young man from Bihar, was discovered hanged in his rented flat. It was believed that the fear of receiving low test scores motivated him to take this extreme action.

These heartbreaking occurrences cast light on the increasing pressures students face in their pursuit of success on these competitive examinations.

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Avishkar, a Class 12 pupil from the Latur district of Maharashtra, had spent three years preparing for the NEET UG. In Talwandi, he was living with his maternal grandparents. Bihar native Adarsh Raj’s fate was similarly determined by the test result, which drove him to take his own life.

In response to the disturbing trend of student suicides in Kota, the district administration suspended tests and examinations at tuition centres for two months.

Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot established a committee to investigate the rise in student suicides, demonstrating the state’s palpable concern over this discouraging matter. Utilising National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) statistics, Gehlot emphasised the gravity of the situation. He noted that more than 13,000 pupils committed suicide in 2021 alone, indicating a problem that requires concerted efforts to resolve.

In addition to addressing the tragic loss of young lives, this episode highlights the immense burden competitive coaching places on students. Gehlot criticised the practise of enrolling students in classes 9 and 10 in these institutes, arguing that it imposes an unnecessary burden on them, particularly as they prepare for board exams.