QUOTE: Education Minister of Rajasthan Madan Dilawar on Saturday cited “love stories” as a cause of student suicides at the Kota coaching centre, while urging parents to be vigilant and not pressure their children to study. Three students in Kota have committed suicide this year. The city, a major center of coaching institutes, witnessed 17 such cases in 2024.
Dilawar, who also holds the Panchayati Raj portfolio, spoke to reporters after a program during which SVAMITVA cards for land ownership were issued to beneficiaries in Bundi.
When asked about student suicides in Kota, the minister said he wanted to urge parents to be cautious and not put pressure on their children regarding studies.
“Honestly, I would like to urge, even though my words may upset some people, that parents should be attentive and careful and should not put pressure on their children,” Dilawar said.
Every student has his own interests and sinks into depression when he is forced to pursue a goal in a field contrary to his interests and fails, he said.
Coaching institutes may play little role in this, but friends play a crucial role with their frequent comments on students’ rankings, he added.
In some cases, there are “love affairs” and students commit suicide because of it, the minister said.
Parents should be attentive to their children’s movements and routines. However, they are not really that careful and when they lose control, students tend to stray in the wrong direction, Dilawar said.