Competition that ruins lives

As many as 52 teenagers have taken their own lives in the three years since 2019

Two recent cases of suicide by students taking coaching for entrance test to the IITs in Rajasthan’s educational hub Kota have again brought into focus the terrible pressures that act on teenagers that work to the detriment of their life and health. Deaths by suicide are serial events in the town which is known for the many centres that prepare students for admission to the country’s toughest technology courses. There were three cases of suicide on a single day in December 2022. There were 15 cases in 2022 alone. As many as 52 teenagers took their own lives in the three years since 2019, and since 2011, at least 121 students have ended their lives. There have also been many more attempts to commit suicide. For every student that takes the extreme step, there are many others whose physical and mental health is damaged by the intensive coaching and competitive pressures that they undergo.

Also Read | Counselling students with low grade, reducing curriculum load: IITs step up measures to check suicides

The circumstances that lead the students to end their lives are well known. They are subjected to the most rigorous and even torturous learning practices. They have to study for 14-15 hours every day, with no time left for relaxation or other human activities. They live far away from their parents, with nothing and none to cushion the pressure. There are high parental expectations which put pressure on the students, and many of them have financial worries, too. The curriculum is extremely tough, especially for those who are there because their parents want them to get into the IITs. Poor performance leads to loss of confidence and lack of self-respect. There are only limited seats and there is severe competition. The fear of failure unhinges many. All this works on the young and sensitive children who have just emerged out of their childhood years.

These circumstances prevail in other places also where coaching is done. But Kota has received special attention because there are large numbers of coaching centres there and thousands of students study there. There have been attempts to address the problem in the past but they have hardly worked, as the continuing cases of suicide show. The state government issued some guidelines in 2018 which sought to provide students with psychological and other assistance and to regularise the working of the coaching institutes. But they showed no significant results. The state government is now planning to bring forward a law — the Rajasthan Coaching Institutes (Control and Regulation) Bill — which will make aptitude tests and counselling mandatory for students. It must be ensured that the law is implemented effectively. Parents have the responsibility to ensure that children choose their careers on the basis of their own aptitude and abilities and not on other considerations.