TW: Mentions Suicide
As a 15-year-old in India, I can’t help but ponder the grim question: what drives young people about my age to such fatal decisions? Student suicide rates in Kota are alarming, and spring fans don’t seem to be saving lives.
This blog delves deep into the harrowing realities of life in Kota, India, exposing the relentless cruelty inflicted by an unforgiving education system and the crushing weight of familial expectations on the shoulders of its youth.
Where does this pressure come from?
The pressure is suffocating. It echoes in conversations with friends like the one where I asked, “What course do you have in mind for college?” My friend, brimming with talent on the football field, responded, “Engineering, bro, what do you expect? I have Indian parents.” It’s a refrain I’ve heard from countless others, as if we’re all trapped in a never-ending loop of expectations.
Parents’ Expectations: “Ye to auron ko depress kar de, aisa kuch nahi hai,” said the father of a visibly depressed teenager when Kota ASP Chandrasheel raised his concerns. They contacted 50 parents, informing them that their child wasn’t fit for the program; 40 parents showed no interest in hearing about their kid’s struggles, and many others switched their coaching centers.
Dr. Neena Vijyvargia, who counsels coaching students in Kota, mentioned that most parents accuse their children of pretending to be depressed when she sheds light on the strain the students are under. But the truth is, they are not acting. They’re fighting to breathe in a system that seems to have forgotten they are still just kids, with dreams that extend far beyond textbooks and scores.
“Arey woh toh acting kar raha hoga,” said one of the parents.
Absence of Screening Process: The stark reality is that not everyone is meant to be an engineer. Just like Farhan Qureshi, some aspire to be wildlife photographers. But in Kota’s 130-odd coaching centers, there’s no screening or entrance test. They roll the dice with young lives, admitting everyone regardless of their math and science suitability.
“If we don’t admit a child, some other coaching institute will pick them up. Another reason for not having a screening process is that no parent likes to hear that their child won’t make it to the IITs. They will push for it and say, ‘Let them give it a shot; at worst, one year will be wasted,'” said Pramod Maheshwari, co-founder of Career Point.
Money and Fame: Amid the fierce competition among these coaching centers, scouts are deployed on the hunt for potential star performers. They spare no expense when it comes to splashing top All India Ranks (AIRs) across newspapers and billboards, all part of their relentless quest for marketing supremacy.
But here’s the chilling twist: it’s not just about billboards and rankings; it’s about the lives of young dreamers who are being pursued as if they were products on a shelf. The stakes are high, and the price they’re willing to pay knows no limits.
“A friend of mine was offered a substantial amount to switch to her coaching institute just days before the exam,” said Sfurti, a student from Kota, in an interview with The Quint.
Government’s Role:
Every year, roughly two hundred students set their sights on Kota, driven by societal expectations to excel in the JEE/NEET and secure coveted spots in prestigious institutions like IIT/AIMS. However, amidst a troubling increase in suicides, the Rajasthan government has taken a step, introducing guidelines for all coaching centers in Kota.
These guidelines prioritize the well-being of Kota’s students, calling for a simplified syllabus, a reduction in intense competition, and consistent counseling to create a more supportive educational environment.
It’s important to note that some coaching centers have started to address this crisis by launching mental health campaigns. Nevertheless, it remains a harsh reality that while some coaching centers have embraced these changes, others have clung to their old ways.
In an ironic twist, certain efforts, like installing spring fans to prevent suicides, have tragically backfired, resulting in incidents that are more horrifying than protective. There have been cases of throat cuttings and toxic substance consumption, including pesticides, underlining the dire need for significant change.
Seeking Change
Stuck in Kota’s pressure cooker, we’re just teenagers, grappling with parental demands and a school system that feels broken. We wish we could tell our friends, who’ve felt so low they’ve considered ending it all, that they’re more than their grades.
We want to shout that life is precious, no matter which college we end up in, and that our passions, whether in engineering, medicine, or any other field, are worth chasing.
Our lives are about more than just test scores; they’re about making our own stories and chasing our dreams, whatever they may be. We have the power to rise above the stress, and we’ve got to hold onto that strength.
Here’s what can be done to prevent these tragedies in Kota, because, in the words of Rancho from 3 Idiots, “Woh suicide nahi, murder tha.”
