NHRC notices to the Chief Secretary, Rajasthan, Union Secretary of Higher Education and the Chairperson, National Medical Commission over the reported suicide by three students taking coaching for NEET in Kota

New Delhi, 14th December, 2022

The National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, India has taken suo motu cognizance of a media report that three students of a coaching center died by suicide in Kota, Rajasthan on 11th December, 2022. Reportedly, the incident has brought spotlight back on punishing pressure, the teenagers are experiencing at private institutes in the city for limited seats in pursuing technical and medical education.

The Commission has observed that that the contents of the media report, if true, amount to a grave issue of human rights. Over the years, Kota has become a hub of private coaching centers for the aspirants of the National Entrance Eligibility Test (NEET). They are charging a very hefty amount. Students, from across the country, are staying in hostels/paying guest houses with a high expectation of success. This is putting them under a lot of pressure. There is a need to regulate private coaching institutes.

The Commission feels that there is a need to formulate a regulatory mechanism and since the regulation of higher education is of the State subject, the need for evolving mechanism shall fall upon the State, in consultation with the Central Government.

Accordingly, notices have been issued to the Chief Secretary, Government of Rajasthan, Secretary, Higher Education, Union Ministry of Education, and the Chairperson, National Medical Commission, calling for reports.

The Chief Secretary, Rajasthan is expected to submit a detailed report of the incident. It must also spell out the steps taken or proposed to be taken by the State about the regulatory mechanism to control the private coaching institutes in view of the large number of reported suicides of students. In addition, it must also contain a formulation of a long-term plan to adequately address the issue of psychological and behavioral abnormality of the students undergoing coaching in different private institutes in Kota, by providing adequate counseling to them, including the parents, so that they should not feel lonely or under huge pressure of expectation of the family members and the friends, etc.

The Secretary, Ministry of Higher Education is expected to inform about the formulation of the National Action Plan of a proportional increase of the seats in technical education as well as medical education and also to evolve the mechanism to get rid of the rat race of getting admission in the private coaching centers to achieve success in the competitive examination of JEE and NEET.

The Chairperson, National Medical Commission is expected to inform about initiating some progressive and student friendly mechanism to get success in NEET without being subjected to huge mental and psychological pressure, while undergoing coaching in private institutions.

According to the media report, carried on 13th December, 2022, two of the deceased students were from Bihar and the third one was from Madhya Pradesh. All the three students were taking coaching classes for the National Eligibility and Entrance Test (NEET) – the exam for medical colleges.

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