‘Sorry papa, main iss saal bhi nahi kar paaya’: Days before third attempt, NEET aspirant dies by suicide in Kota

The NEET coaching student who died Tuesday was identified as Bharat Rajput from Rajasthan’s Dholpur district. He was living with his nephew at a paying guest (PG) accommodation in the Jawahar Nagar area of Kota.

“The incident occurred between 10.30 am and 11 am. The boy was living in this PG for one year with his nephew. We were told that the nephew had gone to the market, and when he returned at around 11 am, despite continuous knocking on the door, there was no response. Then, the landlord was called and they looked through the window. That was when they saw Bharat’s body hanging,” Jawahar Nagar police station SI Gopal Singh told The Indian Express.

The SI said this year’s exam would have been Bharat’s third NEET attempt, and that he had seemed “quite stressed out”. He said the parents have been informed about the incident and that they were on their way to Kota.

This year, nine coaching students have died by suicide in Kota. Last year, the number was 29 – the highest for the city in 10 years.

Kota Collector Ravindra Goswami said it was important to make sure the students were not too stressed ahead of exams.

“It is unfortunate that students have been so burdened with their future. We are doing our part by counselling and mentoring students. I am also issuing a letter to the students and parents to not take these exams as the final call or the only way ahead for the future. Parents’ aspirations should not make students stressed,” Goswami said.