The Rajasthan government has established guidelines for coaching institutes in response to the recent increase in student suicides in Kota.
These guidelines include refraining from glorifying the top performers, maintaining the confidentiality of routine test results, avoiding the segregation of students into special batches based on their ranks, and implementing a policy that facilitates an easy exit and refund process within 120 days. After the state government formed a 15-member committee, led by Education Secretary Bhawani Singh Detha, to investigate the student suicides at the coaching center, nine pages of instructions were issued. These rules, developed after consulting with stakeholders and coaching providers, prohibit providers from enrolling students in courses below Class 9 in preparation for engineering and medical entrance exams.
Students in classes below the ninth grade should not be encouraged to apply to coaching institutes. Admission should be based on screening exams and interest assessments with pupils, as per the guidelines. The institute must provide a full refund within 120 days to any registered student below Class 9 who wishes to withdraw. Additional recommendations include requiring weekly holidays, avoiding tests the day after a holiday, enforcing a code of conduct for instructors and dormitories, and using facial recognition to prevent proxy attendance, reducing the psychological strain on students. District collectors are responsible for informing local stakeholders about the requirements and ensuring their compliance. This year marks the highest number of student suicides reported so far, with 25 cases.
According to the instructions, coaching centers found to violate the code of conduct will face legal consequences. The regulations also mention the establishment of a monitoring cell for institutes in Kota and Sikar. This cell, which will have access to all student data from coaching centers, will be established through a special portal that the state government will soon launch. The instructions allow parents and children who experience any discomfort or unease to request an ‘easy exit and refund policy’ within 120 days. Additionally, institutions are instructed to organize batches alphabetically rather than based on student rankings, and they are discouraged from reshuffling or dividing students midway through the course based on their performance in weekly examinations.
The guidelines also require coaching facilities to provide one-on-one guidance to students while maintaining the confidentiality of their mark sheets, and they are prohibited from publicizing the results of standard tests. Furthermore, the standards forbid coaching institutes from highlighting the achievements of top-performing students. The 2022 initiative by the Rajasthan government to limit excessive praise for high-achieving students was never discussed in the legislative assembly. However, new regulations now require training for instructors, institute managers, staff members, and hostel wardens. Additionally, they require oversight of students’ behavioral changes and monitoring of paid guest accommodations to enable proactive interventions.
Regular counseling sessions with the students will also be necessary. After admission, counseling sessions should be completed at intervals of 45 days for the first session, 90 days for the second session, and 120 days for the third session. It states that career counseling should be an elective for vulnerable students who are evaluated during counseling. Every year, more than 2.5 lakh students come to Kota to prepare for competitive examinations like the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) for admission to medical colleges and the Joint Entrance Exam (JEE) for engineering admission. The administration has implemented various measures in response to the unprecedented rise in suicide occurrences.
These measures include requiring the construction of anti-hanging devices in stadiums and directing coaching institutes to forgo exams for two months. Since 2017, the Kota Hostel Association has been promoting the installation of anti-hanging devices and this year, the district administration has officially made it a requirement. In addition to this, “anti-suicide nets” are being set up in hostel balconies and lobbies to protect students from self-harm. The authorities in Kota are also collaborating with hostel wardens, mess workers, and tiffin service providers to identify any signs of depression or stress in the students residing in hostels and paying guest accommodations.
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