JAIPUR: Alarmed by the rising deaths of students studying in hundreds of coaching institutes in Rajasthan's Kota district, who are taking their own lives due to exams-related stress and anxiety the district administration has now issued orders that classes should stop conducting routine tests of students preparing for Joint Entrance Exam (JEE) and the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) at least for the next two months.

Earlier on Sunday, two students Adarsh Raj (18) from Rohtas in Bihar, and Avishkar Sambhaji Kasle (17) from Ahmedpur in Maharashtra's Latur district committed suicide. While Kasle passed away after jumping off the sixth floor of a coaching institute's building minutes after taking a mock NEET paper, a few hours later Raj who was also preparing for a competitive exam, hanged himself in his rented flat.

Last year, the figure of the death toll due to suicide by students in the district was 15, so far this year 22 students preparing for various competitive exams in the district have ended their lives, the highest in eight years. 

In the order issued by Kota district collector O P Bunkar, while asking coaching institutes to stop holding routine tests for the next two months, he has also given directions to provide 'mental support' to students enrolled in their coaching.  

Further, in a bid to reduce stress-related issues, the administration has also decided to hold fun activities every Wednesday while coaching classes would be held only for half time.

Expressing concerns over the student's deaths, the state government has also assured strict action on coaching institutes that are defying the guidelines issued by the administration. Recently, state Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot also announced forming a committee that would submit a report on students' suicide at the earliest.

Talking to the media Cabinet Minister Pratap Singh Khachariawas said that the issue of children's suicide is worrying and sad. He said that although the government was concerned about the students, the coaching institutes are continuously defying the guidelines of the government. "Strict action will now be taken against such coaching operators, the government has given instructions to the SP and the collector," he added.

Roughly over two lakh students move to Kota every year to prepare for competitive exams such as the JEE for engineering and the NEET for admission to medical colleges and study in an extremely stressful environment due to which some of them are not able to cope and take the drastic step.  Reportedly 35 students studying in various coaching in Kota committed suicide in 2015.