Gehlot directs officials to form panel on Kota student suicides

Jaipur: Epressing concern over the rising cases of student suicide in Kota, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Friday directed officials to form a committee to provide suggestions on preventing them, Gehlot said.

20 students preparing for competitive exams in Kota have died by suicide so far this year, authorities say. Last year, the figure was 15. Speaking at a review meeting on suicide cases among IIT and NEET aspirants in the coaching hub, the CM 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, Gehlot said. “You call students of class 9th and 10th. You are committing a crime in a way. It is like as if IIT is god. As soon as students come to coaching,” he said. The committee, which will investigate under the leadership of IAS Bhavani Singh Detha, will report in fifteen days that at what level work can be done to prevent suicide.