Data Lab | Inside Kota, India’s coaching hub and ‘factory of suicides’

Rajasthan, India

The city of Kota in the northern Indian state of Rajasthan is a popular education hub for aspiring students preparing for competitive exams.

However, upon their arrival in the city, these students are unaware that some of them will have to face relentless pressure of exams and expectations from their families and having their lives cut short on failing to sustain extreme stress and inability to succeed. 

Sometimes dubbed as the 'factory of suicides', the city famous nationwide as a coaching hub has witnessed a distressing surge in suicides among its students. But these are not just statistics of suicides, they are stories of unfulfilled dreams and souls in despair, or should I say, a soul in desperate need to be heard.

Suicide is a deeply troubling phenomenon that affects individuals, across India and worldwide. Here are the statistics from India spanning from 2012 to 2022: 

State-wise suicides in India:

Over two lakh students (0.2 million) flock to Kota annually in pursuit of their dreams. They are seeking to crack the competitive Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) for engineering and the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) for medical colleges.

However, the pressure of cut-throat competition and the challenges of living far from home in cramped accommodations cast a shadow over their aspirations.

In a conversation with WION, Avir Panday, a 19-year-old student from Kota who is studying in IIIT, Jabalpur, candidly expressed the dilemma faced by many students. 

Also Read | India: 20-year-old medical aspirant found dead in Rajasthan's Kota

Panday said, "Yes, talking to teachers is comfortable and they help us with academic problems and mental health issues but the only problem which a student experiences is that he or she has to go to the teacher to talk which a depressed student always avoids." 

It is worth noting that in response to the alarming rise in suicides, the district administration mandated the installation of anti-hanging devices in hostel room fans in August 2023. 

Despite such efforts, the underlying issues driving these tragic incidents remain unresolved.

Also Read | India: Two NEET aspirants die by suicide in Rajasthan's coaching hub Kota on same day

Lakshya Barjatya, a Physics faculty member at at a coaching institute, spoke to WION about the need for systemic changes within the education framework. 

"In my opinion, I think the institutes should be up to the level of what JEE and NEET papers are being framed at. Because the competitive exams which they are focusing on are much easier than the internal examinations right now which are going on which causes the student not to score good marks and that puts pressure on them."

In 2023 alone, the suicide toll in students climbed to a staggering 27, an increase from the previous year's 15. This is the highest figure recorded since 2015. 

Barjatya said, "It is the parents who should release this pressure from the wards. They say that they have paid huge amounts of fees. when they are in competitive exams they are constantly compared to other students. Sometimes they will pass and sometimes they will fail. And when they fail the first thing that the teachers even start saying is that your parents have paid so much money, they have done so much for you, what you are giving in return."

"No! They never asked you to pay that amount for their studies. They didn't ask their parents to do such things for them. You are fulfilling your dreams through your wards. It is not their mistake. This pressure should not be on the students."

WATCH | Gravitas Plus: Kota factory of suicides

In 2022, there were a total of 141 suicides, including that of students, in Kota. 

"The motivation sessions should be frequent enough. The teachers should not only talk about marks but they should talk about progress. A student who scores 40 marks out of 300 in one test, if he is scoring 42 in the next, then he should be appreciated," Barjatya added. 

He pointed out that there are fixed number of seats and not everyone can clear the exam. "Most parents want to enroll their wards in the coaching institutes which have the highest number of ranks and most number of selections but they should instead be focusing on the institutes which are focusing on the progress of the ward."

"There are mental health counsellors who are being employed. No one is around them. The families should visit their wards because they need someone who can take them out of that thought of committing suicide."

If you or someone you know wants help for mental well being, don't hesitate to talk to a professional. Aasra (Mumbai) 022-27546669, 98204 66726, Sneha (Chennai) 044-24640050, Sumaitri (Delhi) 011-23389090, Cooj (Goa) 0832- 2252525, Jeevan (Jamshedpur) 065-76453841, Pratheeksha (Kochi) 048-42448830, Maithri (Kochi) 0484-2540530, Roshni (Hyderabad) 040-66202000, Lifeline 033-64643267 (Kolkata), Parivarthan (Bangalore) +91 76766 02602

WION is not associated with any of these organisations and does not make any recommendations