The Kota district administration has released new guidelines for coaching centers and hostels under the 'Kota Cares' Campaign to reduce the cost of living for students preparing for competitive exams. The new guidelines include the elimination of security and caution money, a maintenance fee of Rs 2,000, anti-suicide ceiling fans, and mandatory gatekeeper training for hostel staff. The campaign aims to attract more students to Kota after a sharp decline in enrollment due to the pandemic.
Wardens and staff members of hostels in Kota will be given professional training in mess management, psychological and behavioural counselling, and other aspects of students' care to equip them to battle the rising number of suicides by aspirants in the coaching hub.
Worried by a spate of suicides by hanging, the authorities in the coaching hub of Kota have taken a desperate measure -- ordering hostels to install a spring device on ceiling fans to stop students from taking their lives.
Hostel owners said such steps to make their premises "suicide proof" are crucial to avoid tragic incidents.
In a fourth case of suspected suicide by a NEET aspirant this month, a 16-year-old student was found hanging in his hostel room in the Kunhari area of Kota, the police said on Thursday.
The nine-page guidelines have been issued days after the state government set up a 15-member committee headed by education secretary Bhawani Singh Detha to examine the issue after record student suicides were reported from coaching hub Kota.
The suicides have involved more NEET aspirants than JEE. 'It's a make-or-mar situation.' 'Either you get into a government medical college, where the fee is much lower than in private institutes, or you don't make it.'
According to Kota police and district administration records, at least 14 students studying in coaching centres in the city committed suicide this year.
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