Kota, Rajasthan
A teenage girl preparing for the competitive Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) died by suicide on Monday (Jan 29) in India's Kota city.
She left behind a note to her parents saying she was sorry, calling herself a “loser”.
“Mummy, papa I can't do JEE. So I suicide,” the note scribbled in English said, according to police.
“I am a loser. I am worst daughter. Sorry mummy papa. Yahi last option he (this is the last option),” the note found in Niharika Singh's room added.
She was reportedly due to appear for the examination in a day or two.
This is the second suicide case reported in less than a week's time in Rajasthan's Kota, which is also known as the coaching hub of the country.
The incident was reported on the very day Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his annual interaction with the students preparing for their school board examinations, advised the students and their parents to not let the stress of the competition get to them.
Also read: Pariksha Pe Charcha 2024: Never sow seeds of competition in students, says PM Modi. 7 key takeaways
"Lot of parents keep giving examples of other children to their children. Parents should avoid doing these things," PM Modi said.
Niharika, who lived in Shiv Vihar Colony in the city's Borekheda police station area at her family residence, was to appear for her JEE test on January 30 or 31, said circle officer DSP Dharmveer Singh.
She, according to the police, was the eldest of three sisters and her father is a security guard at a private bank in Kota.
As per news agency PTI reports, the deceased's cousin said that Niharika, who had repeated her 12th standard due to low scores, was under immense pressure for the upcoming JEE exam. However, she devoted nearly seven or eight hours to her studies every day.
Niharika's grandmother raised an alarm after she got no response knocking at the door of the 18-year-old's room.
She was found hanging from the ventilation window above the door when her family forced open the room.
In 2023, nearly 26 students allegedly committed suicide in Rajasthan's Kota where children come from different parts of the country to prepare for competitive exams like the National Entrance Exam (JEE) for admission to top engineering colleges.
Just a few days ago, in a similar tragic incident, 19-year-old Mohammed Zaid, who was found hanging in his hostel room in Kota, had allegedly died of suicide.
(With inputs from agencies)