How Kota is trying to prevent student suicides with spring-loaded fans
Kota is a city in Rajasthan that is famous for its coaching centres that prepare students for competitive exams like NEET & JEE. However, it is also infamous for the high number of student suicides that happen every year due to the immense pressure and stress that they face. In 2023 alone, around 20 student suicides have been reported from Kota, mostly by hanging.
To prevent such tragic incidents, the state government has decided to install spring-loaded fans in all the hostels and paying guest (PG) accommodations in Kota. These fans are designed to detach from the ceiling when they detect an increase in load, thereby preventing students from hanging themselves. They also have sensors that trigger an alarm in case of an attempted suicide.
The district collector of Kota has issued an order directing all hostel and PG operators to install these security devices in every room. The order stated, “To provide mental support and security to students studying/living in them and to prevent suicides from increasing among coaching students in Kota city, all hostel/PG operators in the state are directed to install a security spring device in the fans at every room”.
However, some experts and activists have questioned the effectiveness of this measure. They argue that it does not address the root causes of the problem, such as the mental health and well-being of the students, the quality of education and coaching, and the support system available for them.
They suggest that there is a need for a holistic approach that includes psychological counseling, emotional support, academic guidance, and social interaction for the students. They also urge the parents, teachers, and society not to put unrealistic expectations on the students, but rather encourage them to pursue their dreams and goals. They also recommend that coaching centres should be transformed into “happiness centres” and students should be taught how to cope with failures.
The state government has also formed a committee comprising of coaching directors, parents, and guardians of students to submit a report within 15 days on suggestions to check suicides. The committee will look into various aspects such as the mental health and well-being of the students, the quality of education and coaching, and the support system available for them.
The issue of student suicides in Kota has been a matter of national concern for many years. A documentary film titled “The Kota Factory” highlighted the plight of the students who struggle with depression, anxiety, loneliness, and fear of failure while preparing for competitive exams in Kota. The film also showed how some coaching centres exploit the students by charging exorbitant fees and making false promises.
The installation of spring-loaded fans is a welcome step by the state government to prevent student suicides in Kota. However, it is not enough to solve the problem. There is a need for a comprehensive and holistic approach that addresses the mental, emotional, academic, and social needs of the students. The students should not be treated as mere numbers or machines, but as human beings with dreams and aspirations. They should be given the opportunity to explore their potential and pursue their passion. They should also be provided with a supportive and nurturing environment that helps them to cope with their challenges and emotions. Only then can Kota become a hub of not only coaching centres, but also of happiness and success.
It seems almost like a joke to me—spring-loaded fans, seriously? I believe (though it could just be me) that the core issue lies in societal norms and the belief that success equals fame and wealth. Why, then, would almost every student gravitate toward a single field—engineering?(out of thousands of many others which might be more fascinating and could serve their inner beings affinity and longing) It's not to serve the country with a "particular set of skills"; rather, it's because large corporations and companies demand those skills to generate capital, by fishing prodigies and hardworkers with a good hook.
ReplyDeleteThe brightest minds, the hardest workers, often find themselves trapped in their teens by a warped ideology of success, one that society has shaped and ingrained in them. The idea that hard work will bring fulfillment is a myth—the jar of desire can never be fully filled. And when that desire remains unquenched, it leads to sorrow and frustration.
The question is, who really finds happiness? Billionaires, for example, don't always seem particularly content. I believe desire and fear (with fear being a form of desire itself) are at the root of all suffering in this world. Those who are free of desire experience neither sorrow nor fear.
Finally, its been almost two years since this article was first published y the time i am typing this stuff,so i do realize that no one may read this for years to come, and perhaps it won't even matter or create a change,or worth their time. It's just a humble attempt from one person, trying to make sense of the world through the lens of their 16.78945 years of life.
In conclusion, live your life not based on others' interpretations, but on your own. Question your beliefs, question the very fundamentals of reality. Understand that our brains are simply making their best guesses about the world around us, operating within their own "box." Perhaps, in the end, being happy is really what it's all about.
The Search for meaning is the one that leads to contradictions.Don’t Search.Create.
Cheers
stay healthy
live it to its fullest.
You say society traps its brightest minds in a cycle of success that isn’t really about fulfillment. But is it a trap, or just the way things naturally work? The world doesn’t care about personal happiness—it never has. It runs on efficiency, on survival, on making sure the machine keeps going. And in that machine, the hardworking and the brilliant are simply the most valuable fuel. Some people accept their role, some reject it, and those who step away don’t necessarily find peace—just a different kind of struggle, one filled with uncertainty.
DeleteYou also talk about desire and fear as if they are the root of all suffering, as if the answer is to detach from them. But is that really freedom? The truth is, everyone wants something—even those who try to escape desire are, in the end, chasing the desire to be free. You can’t erase the hunger for more, because it’s part of what makes life feel real. A billionaire still wants. A beggar still wants. The difference is just what they’re chasing.
But here’s something most people don’t realize—freedom doesn’t mean sitting still. It doesn’t mean giving up on dreams or goals. It means doing things *because you choose to*, not because you’re afraid of failure or desperate for success. It means working, building, creating—not because you *need* to, but because you *can*. When you stop being controlled by the fear of loss or the hope of gain, that’s when you really start to live.
Maybe no one will ever read what you wrote(and even my reply(:) Maybe it won’t change anything. But does that even matter? Truth doesn’t need an audience. Understanding something deeply isn’t about proving it to the world. It’s about seeing reality as it is and deciding what to do with it. And the fact that you’re even questioning this at all? That already makes you different.
:D