373 complaints were received by the helpdesk dedicated to coaching students in two months since its launch in September. Several steps were taken by the administration in Kota following an increase in the alleged suicides by the JEE and NEET aspirants studying at these coaching centers. Students were found suffering from various mental health issues including depression and anxiety and thus were provided with professional help through counsellors.
It was ensured to provide students a stress free environment and attend events where they could listen to motivational speakers in order to imply that in their lives. Other changes that were made was to reduce the pressure from them and be relieved from tedious tests. The help desks were constantly involved in identifying cases of concern and bring necessary changes in the lives of these students.
Thirty-five of the 373 complaints that were received in September and October had to do with stress or depression.
The majority of the other complaints concerned fee refunds, the hostel mess's subpar food, social media posts, and unsolicited phone calls.
Thus far, this year, the coaching hub has reported 26 suicide cases. The bulk of these suicides happened in paid guest rooms or hostels, highlighting the egregious shortcomings in the enforcement of directives from high-level committees and local government oversight.
It was nearly two months before any student suicides related to coaching were reported.
A 16-year-old Uttar Pradesh NEET applicant is said to have taken his own life on September 18 by eating poison.
The number of such incidents increased to 26 when two coaching students who were both NEET aspirants committed suicide themselves in their rooms at separate hostels over the course of three days in November.
In the meantime, the New Medical College Hospital opened a psychological counseling center on September 10 to handle coaching students' mental health-related issues.
Additionally, teams from the district administration and the health department, each led by the administrative support official, have been working together to screen students for health issues at city's coaching centers and hostels.