Remember Super 30's Anand Kumar? He has a message for coaching institutes amid rising suicide rates

The tragic suicides of two students within a span of four hours on Sunday in Kota, Rajasthan, India's prominent coaching hub for aspiring engineers and doctors, have deeply moved Anand Kumar, the mathematician and founder of the Super 30 coaching center. Expressing his concern, Kumar issued an impassioned appeal to coaching centers and students alike in the wake of the alarming rise in student suicides.

The district of Kota has been under scrutiny due to the prevalence of suicides among students pursuing coaching for competitive exams. This year has witnessed a distressing count of nearly two dozen student suicides, marking an unprecedented high in the region.

Kumar took to social media to voice his thoughts. He urged coaching operators to approach education as a responsibility beyond mere financial gains and to treat all students as their own children. Additionally, he advised students not to let a single test define their potential, emphasizing that success comes through various paths. He further cautioned parents against burdening their children with unrealized dreams.

This came after two students who tragically ended their lives on August 27 were 17-year-old Avishkar Shubhangi and Adarsh Raj. Avishkar, hailing from Maharashtra, was preparing for the NEET medical entrance exam. Tragically, he jumped from the sixth floor of his coaching institute's building. Adarsh Raj, from Bihar, took his life by hanging himself at his rented apartment.

The grave issue of student suicides in Kota has shown a concerning upward trend. In 2023 alone, there have already been 23 suicides, compared to 15 in the previous year. Particularly grim was December 2022, during which three suicides occurred on a single day.