Kota Coaching: NEET aspirant attempts self-immolation over pressure for studies

KOTA: A 20-year-old NEET aspirant from Bihar attempted self-immolation here over pressure for studies, police said on Thursday. Mayank Kumar set himself ablaze in his paying guest (PG) room in Talwandi area under Jawahar Nagar police station on Wednesday afternoon, they said.

The youth, a resident of Bihar’s west Champaran, had been pursuing self-studies for National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) for the last two months in Kota, they said. The NEET aspirant allegedly took the step after his father repeatedly asked him to focus on his studies, they said.

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Mayank sustained at least 60 per cent burn injuries over the upper portion of his body and face, said Dr Neeraj Devanda from MBS hospital (burn unit), adding he was brought to the hospital by the PG caretaker. He was later referred to a higher medical health centre for further treatment on Thursday morning, he said.

The caretaker informed Mayank’s father, who was on his way back to Bihar after meeting him, about the incident who reportedly took him to Bihar for further treatment, police said. "I was at Kota Railway station to board a train for Bihar when the caretaker called and informed about the accident," said the NEET aspirant’s father Sanjay Kumar. Mayank has come to Kota to pursue studies, however, he did not enrol himself in any of the coaching institutes here and was doing self-studies, he further said.

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According to Sanjay, during a conversation with his son on Wednesday morning, he asked him to focus on his studies and goal. Everything was normal and they even had lunch together, the father said. Kota, which is the hub of coaching centres preparing students for engineering and medical entrance examinations, in 2022 saw the death of at least 15 students by suicide.

The recent suicides of three students preparing for competitive exams here have triggered a fresh debate over the factors that prompt students to take the extreme step. According to experts, lakhs of students come to Kota every year with dreams of getting into some of the country’s most prestigious colleges but many soon find themselves bogged down by hectic routines, peer pressure and the burden of expectations.