From Kota, IIT's Biggest Outpost, An Emotional Appeal To Parents
All India | Reported by Harsha Kumari Singh, Edited by Surabhi Malik (With agency inputs) | Updated: May 03, 2016 09:10 IST
After another IIT aspirant killed herself in Kota, Collector writes to parents saying they should not force their dreams on their children.
KOTA:
HIGHLIGHTS
- Five students have killed themselves at Kota this year
- 'Don’t force dreams upon students,' Kota officer writes to parents
- Letter sent to parents of 1.5 lakh students taking coaching classes
Over the past many years, Kota in Rajasthan has become a crucial stopover for students who want to be among the nearly 10,000 that IITs accept every year. The small desert town, nearly 250 km from Jaipur, accommodates a range of coaching institutes to prep students for the IIT entrance exam.
The pressure is relentless. Last week, a 17-year-old student killed herself even though she cleared the exam because she felt she should have scored higher. Now, a senior administration official, Collector Ravi Kumar Surpur, has sent a letter to the parents of the 1.5 lakh students who are enrolled for coaching in Kota, urging them "not to force their expectations and dreams on their children". He advises, "Let them do what they want and are able to do".
In his letter, Mr Surpur refers to the suicide note by the student who has urged her parents to let her younger sister opt for the subject and career of her choice, rather than one enforced upon her.
The Collector's five-page letter has been sent to all coaching institutes with instructions for it to be translated and dispatched to all parents.
Last year, 19 students in Kota killed themselves while so far this year, five students have committed suicide.
The district administration has also decided to ask students to share feedback on the main causes of their stress, and how they usually cope with it. Officials have also met with those running coaching institutes for discussions on how to ensure the mental and emotional equilibrium of students.
Read Kota Collector's letter to parents here:
