A recent incident from Kota highlights concerns about student mental health. 21-year-old Alveen Kumar, a NEET aspirant from Jharkhand, was found dead in his hostel room in Kota. Kota, a city in Rajasthan, is the premier hub for engineering and medical entrance exams coaching. No suicide note was recovered from the room. The premises have been sealed by the authorities, and the exact cause of death will be confirmed after the postmortem. This incident draws attention to the emotional and psychological burden that accompanies the competitive exams. The deceased had come last year to Kota for NEET preparation and was enrolled in a coaching institute while staying in a hostel.
Understanding the Crises in Kota
This is not a single case. Authorities have reported many such cases from Kota over the past years. News of several students preparing for competitive exams, dying by suicide, has been reported in recent months alone. The first suicide case of 2026 was reported in January when a 17-year-old student preparing for the JEE exam died by suicide. Studies report that approximately 25 students each year die by suicide in Kota. Reasons behind the harsh decision are:
Read More: Struggles Faced By Students While Preparing For Competitive Exams
- Sudden shift in the environment and difficulty to adapt (Daria and Vinod Kumar, 2024). The majority of the students coming to Kota have never lived alone. The new environment leads to feelings of loneliness and isolation.
- Another factor is that coaching centres lack supportive factors. Coaching institutions enrol students without assessing their abilities and interests. After enrolling, when students feel they are not suitable for the science stream, they may be compelled by their parents to continue.
- Alternative career guidance also lacks in such institutions.
- Facing a lot of academic pressure along with comparison with others brings embarrassment to the students.
- Appropriate coping skills are lacking among students.
Some efforts are being made in Kota coaching institutions, such as gatekeeper training for coaching staff, hostel wardens and managers to identify and support people at risk of suicide. Coaching institutes are also directed to establish 24*7 Wellness centres. Their services are provided by counsellors and psychologists. It is important to teach parents the negative effects of exceptional result expectations for children. Parents and educators should make them aware of how evaluations based on academic performance negatively impact a child’s self-esteem and make the child susceptible to bullying.
Read More: Suicide Crisis Intervention and Prevention in Not Today
References +
Daria, Vinod Kumar1,2,3. Stress and Suicide in Coaching Students in Kota: An Overview. Journal of Modern Medicine 2(3): p. 97-99, September-December 2024. | DOI: 10.4103/JOMM.JOMM_2_25
NEET Aspirant from J’khand Found Dead in Kota Hostel. (n.d.). https://lyfsmile.com/news/jharkhand-neet-aspirant-death-kota-hostel-student-pressure-iit-reality
J’khand NEET aspirant found dead in Kota hostel. The Times of India. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/jaipur/jkhand-neet-aspirant-found-dead-in-kota-hostel/articleshow/130522312.cms
Correspondent, H. (2026, January 27). Teen JEE aspirant dies by suicide, marks first Kota death in 2026 | India News. Hindustan Times.https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/17yearold-jee-aspirant-dies-by-suicide-in-rajasthans-kota-101769476324026.html
