According to reports, 57 students killed themselves in Kota, Rajasthan in the past five years. Every year, more than 1.5 lakh students are sent to Kota to live regimented lives devoted to clearing competitive exams at significant costs. For a teenager, this can be a disabling burden to bear. Many break down, some commit suicide and yet the cycle doesn't stop. There have been two recent efforts to address this issue, by two different stakeholders.
The first is a state government initiated study by the Tata Institute of Social Science to look into the reasons behind the suicides in the town. The second is an initiative by the Kota Hostels Association mandating hostels install fans fitted with springs and sensors in the rooms. While the first effort is a belated but necessary step towards finding long-term solutions to the distress of students there, the second is a limited effort that will no doubt save at least some lives by removing one option for suicide from a distressed student's reach. However, there is a need to delve beyond "Why suicides in Kota?" to "Why Kota in the first place?"
Why do parents across the country see opportunity for success and advancement tied only to an education in engineering or medicine? In 25 years since liberalisation, the world of opportunity is apparently as narrow as ever. Either that is the reality or parents and children are victims of a lack of resources and information. This information deficit will no doubt be more acute among the poor, first generation learners, and people from rural areas. For both scenarios, it is the state which needs to step in and ensure that schools educate children and their parents about the various career options available to pursue. Similarly the state needs to partner with educational institutions and the industry to ensure that students find good jobs. Else, the vast majority of students who don't "make it" in engineering or medicine are going to grow up to live lives of distress, caught between aspiration and reality.