Context:

• A spate of teenage suicides in Kota, Rajasthan, competing to crack the various entrance exams has hit the headlines of students suicide  in the last few days. 

More on News:

Kota had already developed a reputation for student suicides in the last decade or more, having lost more than 100 young people in the last 10 years.

• It has seen a sharp rise in its tragic numbers with 25 students had died by suicide till September 20, 2023, these rates of suicide are disturbingly high.
• The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) reported in 2020 that a student took their own life every 42 minutes or 34 students died by suicide every day.  About Suicide:

• Suicide or suicidal behaviour is the culmination of various influences ranging from biological, socioemotional, cultural, political and issues of social justice. 
• For young people, this may reflect in developmental differences, family and parental expectations, the education system they can’t escape, and the marginalisation that some have to face due to their race, religion or socio-economic background. 

Factors contributing  Suicide:

• Academic and Performance pressure : Packed schedules, cut-throat competition, constant pressure to do better, the burden of parents’ expectations and homesickness are among the common struggles of the students here.
• Peer Pressure and  Parental Expectation: The intense competition and high expectations from parents, teachers and society place immense pressure on students, leading to psychological stress and mental distress.
• Lack of Social Support: Away from their families and friends, they have no one to turn to during periods of distress and self-doubt. Neither is there any mechanism to identify and accept individual differences, safe spaces for students to share and support each other.. 
• Lack of Mental Health Support: There is a lack of adequate mental health support and counseling services in educational institutions in Kota, and where it is available, it is rarely used.
• Social Stigma: The deep sense of failure, guilt and helplessness spirals out of control for some to a point of no return. 
• Commercialization and Commodification of Education: The coaching industry in kota has become a lucrative business, institutions prioritise profit over student wellbeing.
• Rising lower middle-class aspirations: The focus is on securing admissions to top colleges to ensure a stable future, overshadowing passion and interests.
• Challenges in Higher Education: 

Mental Health Awareness Initiatives:

• National Mental Health Programme (NMHP) and District Mental Health Programme (DMHP): To address the huge burden of mental disorders and shortage of qualified professionals in the field of mental health, the government has been implementing NMHP since 1982. The district Mental Health Program was added to the Program in 1996.
• Mental Healthcare Act, 2017: To provide for mental healthcare and services for persons with mental illness and to protect, promote and fulfill the rights of such persons during delivery of mental healthcare and services.
• Manodarpan Initiative: It is a psychological support initiative by the Ministry of Education for mental health & well being of students during the COVID Outbreak and beyond.

Steps Taken by  Government to Check the Suicides in Kota:

The Rajasthan government held a meeting on the issue with the representatives of coaching institutions and hotel association and decided to introduce measures such as:

• Half-Day Study, Half-Day Fun: On every Wednesday and institutes will not conduct any routine tests for the next two days.
• Identification of Students with Suicidal Tendencies: A form will be developed for coaching students to fill in every day so that their mental status can be assessed.
• Psychological Counseling: Absentees from the routine tests and poor performers will be identified and they will be provided psychological counseling.
• Reduce Course Burden: Coaching institutes have been asked to form a committee of subject experts in an attempt to reduce the burden of courses on students.
• Motivational Sessions: The institutes have also been asked to hold online motivational sessions by experts and upload the same on social media for the benefit of all students.

Ethical Issues:

• Coaching Industry: Profit maximisation vs Student Welfare: Educational institutions need to generate revenues to sustain their operations and ensure quality education. High tuition fees can exclude deserving students from accessing quality education.
• Right to Education vs Right to Well Being: Getting the opportunity to prepare for competitive exams from Kota is a luxury many can’t afford in India. However, the picture is equally gloomy on the other side, where students believe that they have been put in a “pressure cooker”.
• Parental Pressure vs Child’s Autonomy: Mismatch between the aspirations of parents for their children are not balanced with child’s well-being. For instance, parents telling them there is no going back”, according to police and district officials attempting preventive measures

• Success Factor: With most of the students belonging to middle or low income background, success appears as the only option. Further, the environment and surroundings ensure the hype for success is maintained.
• Social Influence of Media: Media highlights success stories of toppers which lead to creation of an unrealistic expectation and increase pressure on students.
• Meritocracy vs Equality of Opportunity: While both principles aim to create a fair and just society, merit based systems promote competition and innovation whereas equality of opportunity promotes social mobility, reduction in discrimination and fair access to all students.

Way Forward:

• Imparting Value Education: According to Swami Vivekanand, ‘’education is not merely the accumulation of knowledge and its primary aim should be character building.’’ Thus downgrading education for the mere sake of high paying jobs narrows down its scope. He saw education as a means of liberation of individuals from social constraints.
• Corporate Ethics in Coaching Industry: Balancing profit maximisation and student welfare by providing scholarship and financial aid programmes. Apart from this, non-profit organisations can also play an important role in ensuring student welfare over profit maximisation.
• Role of Family, Friends and Teachers: Parents have genuine intent behind sending their children to the coaching hub but they should be ready to accept and act if their child is not able to cope up due to any reason.
• Government Initiatives: Steps like regulating Coaching industry and fraudulent claims, scholarship schemes for needy students and ensuring a universal education can help tackle the increasing mental agony and social anomie among students.
• Imparting Value Based Education: Teaching ethical values like integrity, objectivity, tolerance and compassion towards other fellow students can help in making rational decisions and broaden the scope of individual thinking, helping them to see beyond the present goal.
• Stakeholders Engagement: Involving various stakeholders viz. students, educators, policy makers in making collaborative strategies may help prevent suicides by students. 

By addressing students’ related issues by holistic approach , it is possible to create a more supportive and nurturing environment for students. However, in the long term, we need to address challenges in the crippling higher education system in india.

Source: Indian Express