Raising serious concerns over rising suicides cases of NEET and IIT-JEE aspirants in Kota, the 15-member committee headed by principal secretary technical education Bhawani Singh Detha, submitted a report to the state government regarding guidelines to control the worsening situation in Kota. So far around 30 students have died this year primarily succumbing to the pressure of performing well in competition.
As per the report, the coaching institutes have been asked not to give admission to students below 9th standard. The guidelines also state the need for screening test so that only those students get admission who are really inclined and equipped for preparing IIT-JEE and NEET. This will sieve out the weak students who come under parental pressure without having interest in the subject.
The report, finalised after taking views from all the stakeholders, also emphasises on putting curb on common practice of differentiating students as per their score in the tests.
“Currently students are divided in batches on the basis of their marks, which create inferiority complex in students relegated to batches of weaker students. This discrimination causes social stigma and depression among them and sometimes becomes reason for committing suicide. Now batches will be decided alphabetically ruling out any discrimination,” said an official.
The guidelines also ascertain that marks of students should not be made public to save them from humiliation if they score less marks
“Neither there should be glorification of the toppers by coaching institutes. Students scoring poor marks should be counselled personally and they should not be pulled up in public,” the official said.
As per the report, a proper monitoring should take place for coaching institutes. For that, monitoring centres should be set up in Kota and Sikar – major coaching centres in the state and legal action should be taken against institutes violating the norms decided by the government. The situation will be reviewed in every 10 days.
As per the new guidelines, there should be easy exit policy for students and they should be refunded fees if they are unable to cope up and decide to leave in between.
“There have been many cases when students give up. But they continue to drag as institutes are not ready to give them the refund. So just to utilise the fee, they keep pursuing living under tremendous pressure. The easy exit policy will certainly help such students who have taken a wrong decision,” he said.
Fresh lease of life
- No discrimination on the basis of marks. Batches will be made alphabetically.
- Marks of students will not be made public. Students scoring less marks will be counselled personally
- No glorification of successful students will take place
- Weekly off of one and half day
- Monitoring centres will be set up in Kota and Sikar to see if institutes are following regulations. Legal action to take place on violation
- Easy exit policy for students opting to leave in between. Provision of fee refund to be there
- Mandatory gatekeeper training for the teachers, institute managers, other staff, and the wardens of the hostels and paying guest accommodations that would help them to assess the students' behavioural changes and take preventive measure
- A tripartite MoU to be signed with NIMHANS, government, coaching institutes or hostel management for such training,”
- Psychiatrists and counsellors to recruited from NIMHANS or any government medical college' to keep a check on the students' psychological health regularly
- First counselling should be done within 45 days of the admission followed by the second after 90 days and the third in 120 days.
Vivek Shukla is a management graduate who has worked in corporate worked for 20 years and is now pursuing his passion — news.
