NHRC has sent notices to the Government of Rajasthan, the Union Secretary of Higher Education and the Chairman of the National Medical Commission on the alleged suicide by three students in Kota. The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in a statement on Wednesday said it has taken suo motu cognizance of a media report that students of a coaching center allegedly committed suicide in two separate incidents within 12 hours.
The commission also said that there is a need to “regulate private coaching institutes”. The students were preparing for competitive exams and the incident has again put the spotlight on the punitive pressure experienced by teenagers for limited seats in private institutes in technical and medical education in the city.
The commission has observed that the contents of the media report, if true, amount to a “serious issue” of human rights.
Over the years, Kota has become a hub of private coaching centers for National Entrance Eligibility Test (NEET) aspirants.
“They are charging exorbitant amounts. Students from across the country are living in hostels/paying guest houses with no hope of success. This is putting a lot of pressure on them,” the statement said.
The commission said it felt that there was a need to put in place a regulatory mechanism and since regulation of higher education is a state subject, the onus would be on the state to develop the mechanism in consultation with the central government.
Accordingly, notices have been issued to the Chief Secretary, Government of Rajasthan; Secretary, Higher Education, Union Ministry of Education, and Chairman, National Medical Commission, and called for the report.
The Chief Secretary is expected to submit a detailed report of the incident. It should also state the steps taken or proposed to be taken by the state regarding the regulatory mechanism to control private coaching institutes in view of the large number of alleged suicides of students, the NHRC said in the statement.
Read also: Rajasthan: Three students preparing for competitive exam commit suicide in Kota
Further, it should also include the formulation of a long term plan to adequately address the issue of psychological and behavioral abnormality by providing adequate counseling to the parents of the students receiving coaching in various private institutions of Kota. So that they should not feel lonely or under heavy pressure of expectation from family members and friends.
The Secretary, Ministry of Higher Education is expected to inform about the formulation of a national action plan for proportionate increase of seats in technical education as well as medical education and develop mechanisms to get rid of the race to achieve. Admission to private coaching centers to crack the competitive exams of JEE and NEET, the statement said.
It added that the Chairman, National Medical Commission is expected to inform about introducing some progressive and student-friendly mechanism to crack NEET without heavy mental and psychological pressure during coaching in private institutions. .
According to media reports released on 13 December, two of the dead were from Bihar and the third from Madhya Pradesh. The statement said that the three students were taking coaching for NEET – examination of medical colleges.
(This report has been published as part of an auto-generated syndicated wire feed. No edits have been made to the copy by ABP Live except for the headline.)
Education Loan Information:
Calculate Education Loan EMI
