Shillong, June 28: In Kota, Rajasthan, two teenage boys have tragically taken their own lives in separate incidents over the past two days, once again drawing attention to the mental well-being of teenagers who flock to the city to prepare for competitive exams in engineering and medical fields.
Both boys had recently moved to Kota, with one of them hailing from Uttar Pradesh, to pursue their NEET preparations, the all-India entrance exam for medical education. They resided in different accommodations in the Vigyan Nagar locality. One of the boys was discovered deceased on Monday, while the other on the following day.
In another incident, a 17-year-old boy from Bihar was saved after his parents sought assistance from childcare services. Concerned about their child’s state of mind during a conversation where he seemed on the verge of taking extreme measures, the parents promptly contacted Childline, a government counseling service. The police acted swiftly upon receiving the information and located the boy in the Rangbadi area within 20 minutes. He was rescued and reunited with his parents upon their arrival in Kota the following day.
According to the police, the rescued teenager had come to Kota three months ago to prepare for engineering entrance exams and had been experiencing homesickness. His disclosure to his parents over the phone about contemplating an extreme step alarmed them, leading to their immediate action.
These distressing incidents serve as a reminder of the importance of addressing the mental health challenges faced by students in the competitive educational environment of Kota.