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, the coaching capital of Rajasthan. This has brought attention to the rigorous culture of intensive exam coaching and the immense pressure placed on students in the city.

Tripti Singh, hailing from Uttar Pradesh’s Kushinagar, was reported missing on April 23, having last been seen when she went to write her exam on April 21. She was staying at a hostel in the Gobriya Bavdi area of the city.

The hostel owner filed a missing report on April 23, and both the police and her family have been actively involved in the search. The police have been investigating by scanning the CCTV footage from railway and bus stations, and have also dispatched a search team to Uttar Pradesh.

Additionally, they revealed that the missing student had visited Vrindavan around the time of Holi. The situation in Kota has been increasingly concerning, with a recent case of a 19-year-old NEET aspirant allegedly dying by suicide, marking the seventh such incident by a coaching student in Kota since January.

In 2023 alone, there were 26 suspected cases of suicide among coaching students in Kota. The city, known for drawing students from across India, has a floating population of nearly two lakh students, many of whom are living away from home for the first time and are in a vulnerable position.

Overall, the situation highlights the immense stress and challenges faced by students in Kota, as well as the urgent need to address the mental health and well-being of these young individuals in such a demanding educational environment.