Rajasthan Edu Minister Links 'Love Affairs, Peer Pressure' To Student Suicides In Kota: 'Parents Aren't Careful'

Rajasthan Education Minister Madan Dilawar attributes student suicides in Kota partly to love affairs, also highlighting academic stress as a factor.

File Photo of Rajasthan Education Minister Madan Dilawar

Source : @madandilawar

Rajasthan Education Minister Madan Dilawar on Saturday attributed student suicides in Kota partly to love affairs, while also urging parents to be more attentive and avoid pressuring their children over academics.  Speaking to reporters after a programme in Bundi, where SVAMITVA cards for land ownership were distributed to beneficiaries, Dilawar addressed concerns over student suicides in the coaching hub.  

"I would honestly like to urge, though my words may annoy some people, that parents need to be attentive and careful. They should not mount pressure on their kids regarding studies," he said, as quoted by news agency PTI.  

Highlighting academic stress as a factor, he stated that students often sink into depression when forced to pursue careers against their interests. 

"Every student has their own interest and they sink into depression when forced to pursue a goal in a field contrary to their interest and fail. Coaching institutes may have little role in it but friends play a crucial part with their frequent remarks on student ranks," the minister remarked.

"In some cases, there are love affairs, and students commit suicide due to that," he added.  

Boondi, Rajasthan: Regarding the four suicides in Kota this month, Minister for School Education of Rajasthan, Madan Dilawar says, "Parents must pay attention to their children's whereabouts and actions... Whether it's a son or a daughter, they need to be vigilant. Often, when… pic.twitter.com/idLAFi6bGm

— IANS (@ians_india) January 18, 2025

Dilawar further suggested that parents should closely monitor their children's activities and routines. "However, they are actually not so careful, and when control is lost, students tend to stray in the wrong direction," he said.  

Kota, known for its coaching centres, has reported four student suicides this year, with 17 such cases recorded in 2024.

16-Year-Old JEE Aspirant Dies In Kota Days Before Exam

This comes as 16-year-old JEE aspirant, Manan Jain, allegedly committed suicide at his grandparents’ house in Jawahar Nagar, less than 48 hours after another aspirant from Odisha took his own life in his hostel room. This incident marks the fourth suicide case in the city renowned for its coaching centers.

According to police, Manan had been residing with his maternal grandparents for the past three years, diligently preparing for the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE). On Friday night, he had been studying with his cousin until midnight. The next morning, when his cousin failed to reach him, he peeked into the room and discovered Manan hanging from the iron railing of the window.

The police received information about the incident around 9:15 am on Saturday and promptly dispatched the body for a post-mortem examination. Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Jawahar Singh stated that Manan had been studying with his cousin until midnight on Friday.

The police have yet to recover a suicide note from the room, and the reasons for Manan’s suicide remain unclear.