Student Suicides: All This Talent, Yet No Care?

In recent times, India’s premier institutes have witnessed a rising rate of student suicides. On October 22nd, 2017, yet another student of IIT Kharagpur died at the young age of 23. Nikhil Bhatiya, a final year engineering student, fell off the roof of the hostel terrace and succumbed to his death. The police aren’t yet sure whether it was an accident or a suicide. However, it is speculated that he was depressed and possibly cyberbullied.

Once again, questions are raised about the rising toll of student deaths in the country.

Statistics and various cases

At a time when one should enjoy life to the fullest and discover oneself, students are ending their lives. According to the National Crime Records Bureau, every hour, one student commits suicide. In 2015, 8,934 students committed suicide. They are under the constant pressure to succeed, score well, be on top of the class and not be “average”. Many psychologists list low academic achievement and stress as the leading cause of suicide. According to a report by the Lancet Commission, the highest number of suicides between the age group of 15-29 take place in India,  

The recent death of Nikhil Bhatiya isn’t the first one that IIT Kharagpur has seen. In 2017, three IIT students committed suicide with reasons varying from mental depression to harassment. These students were studying in premier institutes of the country which receive thousands of applicants every year. Many, like Nikhil Bhatiya, must have been good at what they do.

Nidhin N., who hailed from Kerala, used to wake up at 2 a.m. each night to study. He was among the three IIT Kharagpur students who committed suicide this year. He left behind a suicide note with the words “Let me sleep”, scribbled onto it.

In March, a student of Telangana’s NIT Warangal allegedly killed himself by jumping off of the hostel building. The same month, an IIT Delhi student, ended his life by jumping off the fourth floor of the hostel. He was enrolled in a course he didn’t like. Moreover, accompanied with the highly competitive environment, it was a recipe for disaster.     

Kota synonymous with suicide

Kota in Rajasthan, the coaching hub for entrance exams has witnessed a large number of student suicides. In 2016, 17 students ended their life, bringing the total to 60 in the past six years.

Many students come to Kota at the young age of 17 where they are subjected to a taxing 18-hour study schedule while being cooped up in a small room. Here the “average” students are segregated from the brilliant ones and their already frail self-esteem receives a further blow.

In most cases, students are unable to cope with the harrowing pressure of the competitive atmosphere. The psychological pressure proves to be immense and leads to students committing suicide or ending up in therapy.

Each year, Kota receives thousands of teenagers who pay up to 1 lakh in fees, which is non-refundable. Many, hail from small towns and have a lot of hopes and dreams pinned on them. Thus, clearing an entrance exam holds grave importance in their life. Some even enrol in ghost schools run by the coaching institutes while still being in middle school. In 2016, a 14-year-old boy committed suicide. His uncle was quoted as saying, “There were high expectations of him. His family and neighbours had already started calling him doctor sahib.” 

A hotbed for suicide

Kota is a breeding ground for student suicides. Here, students go through extreme mental pressure, depersonalization and end up losing confidence in their abilities. Coaching institutes justify their brutal methods as Social Darwinism. “Average performers are bound to fail”, said the director of one of Kota’s major coaching centre. Many of these coaching institutes are indifferent to the mental wellbeing of their students. Only now, the coaching institutes have recognized the problem and taken appropriate measures like setting up a helpline to counsel students and conducting tests to detect vulnerable students to help reduce the number of suicides.   

Seeking help

During times of distress, students feel helpless and frustrated. Every university should have counselling centres, with trained professionals which are easily accessible to students. There is a need to raise awareness about mental health so that students can recognize the problem and speak up. Parents too shouldn’t measure their child’s worth by his/her ability to score well or clear an exam.

Earlier this year, the parliament passed the Mental Health Care Bill which decriminalised the act of suicide. This is a major step towards recognising mental health problems and encouraging the victims to seek help. However, there is still a requirement of an adequate budget for mental health. It seems, India still has a long way to go.