
JAIPUR: Days after another student suicide in Kota, Rajasthan’s Education Minister Madan Dilawar made a rather curious and controversial statement.
Minister Dilawar, known for making provocative remarks, claimed that ‘love affairs’ between students are also a prime factor behind the student suicides that have rocked Kota in recent years. He also advised parents to keep a close watch on their children’s activities to prevent them from going astray and taking the tragic step of committing suicide.
The minister's comment comes in a month when Kota has witnessed three student suicides, and the country's coaching hub is losing significant revenue due to the rising number of student suicides in recent years.
“In some cases of suicide, it has been seen that there is also an angle of a love affair. Therefore, parents should keep an eye on the daily activities of their children,” asserted Madan Dilawar as he advised parents to take care and closely monitor their children’s activities.
“Where are they going, what are they doing? Whether it is a son or a daughter, we do not take care. If we do not have control, children go in the wrong direction,” Dilawar remarked strongly.
Despite various efforts in Kota, known as a coaching hub in the country, student suicides continue. Another coaching student committed suicide late on Friday night in Kota.
This was the fourth case of a coaching student suicide in Kota this year. Another student took their life at home on Friday night in the Jawahar Nagar police station area.
Given the rising trend of student suicides in recent years, Kota has started becoming infamous as the ‘Suicide City’ or ‘Death of Dreams,’ rather than being known as the Coaching City.
In terms of numbers, 26 students committed suicide in 2023, and 17 students have taken their own lives in 2024, due to stress and depression over studies.
In an effort to control this tragic trend, Dilawar also claimed that “the role of friends is very important, as friends often comment on students’ ranks. In some cases, there are ‘love affairs’ which push students to commit suicide - and friends can play an important role in checking all this.”
Education Minister Madan Dilawar has frequently made headlines due to his controversial statements. A few months ago, Dilawar stirred up politics in the state over his comments on the dresses worn by female teachers
Commenting on the attire of teachers, Dilawar said, “Many teachers go to school showing their full body. Many teachers go to school after eating gutkha, and all this has a bad impact on children studying in the school.”
Minister Dilawar also sparked political debate with his statement that “Akbar, a rapist and invader, used to sell women in the name of Meena Bazaar.” He argued that Akbar cannot be compared to Maharana Pratap.
Apart from his controversial statements, Minister Dilawar made several decisions in the Education Department that were later reversed.
The department faced criticism due to this backtracking; the transfer policy, which was included in the 100-day action plan, was withdrawn in the revised plan.
Instructions to convert Mahatma Gandhi schools into Hindi medium, for which a survey was conducted on 38 points, were later withdrawn.
On May 4, the use of mobile phones by teachers was banned in government schools, but the decision was later reversed with some conditions.
(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 (available 24x7) or iCall, the Tata Institute of Social Sciences' helpline - 02225521111, which is available Monday to Saturday from 8 am to 10 pm.)