Medical student, 20, missing for over a week in coaching hub Kota.

Tripti Singh, a 20-year-old NEET aspirant, has been missing for over a week in Kota, a city known for its intense exam coaching culture. The situation has brought attention to the heavy pressure placed on students in this Rajasthan city. Originally from Kushinagar, Uttar Pradesh, she was reported missing on April 23. Singh had gone to write an exam on April 21 and did not return.

She was staying at a hostel in the Gobriya Bavdi area of the city. The police were informed by the PG owner, who registered a missing report on April 23. The family has been notified, and efforts are underway to locate her, including scanning CCTV footage from railway and bus stations, as well as sending a search team to UP. The police official, Bhupendra Singh, mentioned that Tripti had visited Vrindavan around Holi.

Earlier in the week, a 19-year-old NEET aspirant in Kota reportedly died by suicide, marking the seventh such case since January. In 2023, there were 26 suspected suicide cases of coaching students in Kota. The city, known for its coaching institutions drawing students from across India, has a floating population of nearly two lakh students, some of whom are living away from home for the first time and may be more vulnerable.