Rajasthan: Spring-loaded fans now a must in Kota hostel rooms

Spring loaded fans being installed in hostel rooms

After 20 suicides, mostly by hanging, were reported from Rajasthan's entrance exam hub Kota, allegedly under pressure to crack NEET and JEE, the state government is installing spring-loaded fans in hostel rooms, and has formed a committee to combat such incidents.

Chief Minister Ashok Gelot late Friday evening held a meeting with hostel directors, coaching directors, parents and guardians of the competitive examination aspirants to find out why youths are taking the extreme step and how to tackle the issue.

During the two-hour-long meeting, the Chief Minister directed secretary (education) to form a committee, including coaching directors, parents and guardians of students, which will submit a report within 15 days on suggestions to check suicides.

State Education Minister

BD Kalla suggested that average students should be encouraged to play cricket and football instead of "pressurising" him/her to crack the competitive exams.

Chairing the meeting, Gehlot said, "Students take admission in Kota coaching centres at the age of 15 and have stay far away from their parents. Hence, coaching directors have the responsibility to provide them with a home-like atmosphere. The aspirants should be allowed to go home on festivals. If students study under pressure, suicidal cases will increase."

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"If student is weak, then he/she should be advised to play good cricket or football. Look at Virat Kohli, he is earning more than doctors and engineers. Coaching centres should be transformed into happiness centres and students should be made to learn how to become successful after failures," said Kalla.

"Now trend is changing as IITians are also doing political surveys for politicians and are seen engaged in their poll campaigns," said Gehlot. In the meeting, Minister of State Zahida Khan said that the coaching institutes in Kota should not become just "money-earning machines".

"Children should be tested before admission to know whether they are capable of preparing for a competitive exam or not. If not, then the parents should be told about it," Khan said. Khan suggested that music and yoga classes can be organised in the hostels so that there is no pressure on the students' mind.

Meanwhile, the reports of Kota administration installing spring loaded fans in 3,200 hostels are garnering critics' attention who said that such acts are inefficient to check suicides. Priti Sridhar, CEO, Mariwala Health Initiative says, "Installing spring fans will not solve the issue. We need to understand the underlying stress of these students."

Social media, too, was abuzz with criticism over the move. Meanwhile, the work to install spring loaded fans in hostels is going at a fast pace as district collector OP Bunkar has directed in this context.

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