Patna : A student from Chhapra, Bihar, preparing for the NEET exams, has taken his own life in a private hostel in Kota, Rajasthan. The incident, which occurred early on Tuesday morning, adds to a growing list of tragic suicides among students in the city, which is renowned for its coaching centres.
The student, whose identity remains undisclosed at his family’s request, was found hanging in his hostel room in the Kunhadi police station area. Police discovered a suicide note in the room, which stated that the decision to end his life was not related to the upcoming NEET exams. The note read: “I am committing suicide, it is not your fault. Nor is this suicide because of the NEET paper. My name, my photo, and my family’s name should not be published anywhere in the media.”
The hostel operator alerted authorities after finding the student unresponsive in his room. Upon breaking open the door, police discovered the student had hung himself from a ceiling fan. His sister had reportedly received a WhatsApp message from him earlier in the morning, prompting her to inform the hostel operator.
This marks the fifth suicide in Kota in less than a year, with students from Bihar among the most affected. In March, 17-year-old Harshraj Shankar from Nalanda also took his own life in a similar manner. A few months earlier, in December 2024, a 16-year-old student from Vaishali preparing for the JEE exam ended his life, and in June, Ayush Jaiswal, 17, from Motihari, hanged himself in his hostel room. Earlier this year, Abhishek from Bhagalpur died after consuming sulphas in March.
The reasons behind these tragic events remain unclear, though there is growing concern about the intense pressure faced by students in Kota, a city that draws thousands each year for coaching in competitive exams.
In this latest case, the student’s family has been informed, and authorities are awaiting their arrival for the post-mortem. As investigations continue, the cause of this young life being lost remains a tragic mystery, but the broader question of the mental toll placed on students preparing for India’s most competitive exams becomes ever more pressing.
Authorities have yet to release further details, and the community continues to grapple with the devastating impact of these deaths.
(If you are having suicidal thoughts, or are worried about a friend or need emotional support, someone is always there to listen. Call Sneha Foundation – 04424640050, Tele Manas – 14416 (available 24×7) or iCall, the Tata Institute of Social Sciences’ helpline – 02225521111, which is available Monday to Saturday from 8 am to 10 pm.)
