Another IIT aspirant dies by suicide in Kota, fourth case so far in 2024

Earlier this year, a BTech student, Noor Mohammed, JEE aspirant Niharika Singh, and NEET aspirant, Mohammed Zaid, died by suicide in Kota

An IIT aspirant, Shubh Chaudhary, was found dead in his hostel room in Kota on Tuesday morning, in the latest addition to the list of suicides in the Rajasthan city, according to a report by NDTV. This is the fourth such case so far in 2024.

Earlier, a BTech student, Noor Mohammed, JEE aspirant Niharika Singh, and NEET aspirant Mohammed Zaid, had died by suicide in Kota.

18-year-old Niharika had left behind a suicide note which read, "Mummy, papa I can't do JEE. So, I suicide...". The note written in English was recovered from her room. "I am a loser. I am the worst daughter. Sorry mummy papa. Yahi last option he," it said.

According to NDTV, Chaudhary belonged to Jharkhand and was in Kota for the past two years. He had found his score lower than his expectations in the JEE Mains result declared yesterday.

His body was found hanging from the ceiling. The report said that the family has been informed and an autopsy will be conducted after the boy's parents reach Kota.

READ: Kota teen builds AI robot to help farmers assess soil health, water crop

Kota administration has been struggling to contain the rising number of deaths by suicide in the city. The city, known to be the coaching hub for competitive exams, witnessed 26 deaths by suicide in 2023. It was the highest number of such deaths the city has ever witnessed.  

Over 200,000 students go to Kota annually to prepare for competitive exams.

Last year, the city's administration introduced several initiatives to curb these deaths. These included measures like "suicide-proofing" fans in hostel rooms, installation of nets in balconies, and restrictions on the glorification of toppers, among other things.

It has also set up five special women squads headed by administrative officers to bid on the suicide rates among girls. Each squad has been tasked to talk to girls at their coaching centres regularly and submit a detailed report to district collectors every 15 days.

However, the application of these measures continues to hang in the balance

After Zaid died by suicide, the district administration seized his hostel owing to the lack of "anti-suicide" devices in ceiling fans.