Over 80 Students Died By Suicide In Rajasthan From 2019 To 2024: Police

Psychologists feel mounting academic pressure, causing stress and depression, is leading students to take such drastic steps.

Jaipur:Rajasthan has been witnessing a rise in cases of students from schools and coaching centres taking to end their lives in recent years.

According to police reports, 87 students died by suicide from 2019 to 2014. Most of the victims are in the age group of 17 to 18 years and many are students aged above 18 years, police said. Also a significant number of the victims hail from other states, who were staying in hostels to prepare for competitive exams, they added.

Rajasthan education minister Madan Dilawar has recently attributed the rise in suicide cases to academic pressure and unrealistic expectation of parents and urged parents to be more attentive towards their wards. Psychologists feel that stress and depression drive youngsters to take to such drastic steps.

According to social worker Vijay Goyal, the rising suicide cases in this state has become a major cause of worry for the society as students are suffering from depression at a very young age and opting to end their lives.

Psychologists believe that students who take a break from regular courses to prepare for competitive exams from their homes are more susceptible to suffer from mental depression. They suffer from loneliness and undergo extreme academic pressure at the coaching centres but do not get any opportunity to express their feelings, resulting which, their mental health deteriorates. For the outstation candidates, who stay away from their homes and prepare at the coaching centres, situation is more challenging, they said.

Psychiatrist Dr Anil Tambi blamed this on the mounting academic pressure due to the competitive exams. "Expectations of the parents have also increased and when children are unable to live up to these expectations, they often feel that ending their lives is a better solution," Dr Tambi said.

Suicide is not a solution: If you are having suicidal thoughts, or are worried about a friend or need emotional support, someone is always there to listen. Call Sneha Foundation - 04424640050 (available 24x7) or iCall, the Tata Institute of Social Sciences' helpline - 9152987821, which is available Monday to Saturday from 8 am to 10 pm.

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