Spl women squads set up to curb suicides

JAIPUR: In a bid to curb suicides particularly among the girl students in Kota coaching hub, the district administration has set up five special women squads earlier this week each headed by an administrative officer, said officials familiar with the matter.

“Each squad will comprise a RAS officer, an SI, and a doctor -- all women -- who will interact with the girls at their coaching centres regularly and will submit a detailed report to the district collector every 15 days,” said Sunita Daga, the registrar of the Kota Agricultural University who is supervising the squads.

“The girls, particularly the teenagers, deal with several issues while studying away from their home which they cannot share with everyone leading to several complications; even suicide. Such a measure aims to take care of the mental health and other issues faced by the girls in Kota,” Daga said.

The decision came after two students died by suicide in Kota this year - of whom one was an 18-year-old woman who had been preparing for the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) for over a year and was all set to take the exam on January 31.

The police, during the investigation, also recovered a note from her room in which she called herself a ‘loser ‘ and apologised to her parents for taking the extreme step.

As per the district administration’s estimation, half of the student population in the coaching centres across Kota are girls. A total of 5 girls were also among 27 students preparing for various competitive examinations, died by suicide in the district, according to the officials.

Daga said the squads were made initially at the four most populated coaching areas -Jawahar Nagar, Vigyan Nagar, Kunhadi, and Borkheda. “However, the number of squads can be increased considering their effectiveness,” she said.

The officer added that their interaction with the students will be kept confidential. “There are many such issues which are extremely sensitive for the girls. They don’t like to open up about them publicly. We want to provide them with an environment where they will be able to talk about it and expect a possible solution of the matter. We will refer them to the medical professionals if required. They will also be given an official contact number of the squads where they can write about their issues.”

Kota is the centre of India’s test-prep business, estimated to be worth ₹10,000 crore annually, according to officials in the district administration. Students from around the country arrive here in huge numbers after completing Class X, and register in residential test-prep institutes. They also enroll in schools, most of which are largely for purposes of certification. Students attend classes only in the test-prep institutes, which prepare them for their Class XII examination, but more importantly, entrance examinations such as NEET and Joint Entrance Examination (JEE). Some students find the grind stressful, especially because they are away from their families.

Each squad submit a report to the district collector every 15 days SUNITA DAGA, Registrar of Kota Agricultural University