“Why are they dying only in Kota?” asked the Supreme Court of India not too long ago while hearing the suicide case of yet another student in the city.

Fourteen cases of student suicides have been reported from Kota so far in 2025.

India’s obsession with competitive exams has given rise to coaching hubs like Kota in Rajasthan, Mukherjee Nagar and Rajinder Nagar in Delhi, and many more.

These hubs have become synonymous with ambition, hard work, and unfortunately, immense pressure. They guarantee success in highly coveted exams like IIT-JEE, NEET, and UPSC.

But recent events such as the increasing suicide rates and the worsening living conditions in these areas have brought about a change in the attitude of both students and parents.

THE ONES WHO GET LEFT BEHIND

Kota has been the go-to place for the preparation of competitive exams for decades. Coaching institutes lining the streets proudly put up posters of toppers and their success stories.

But what happens to the ones that are not on the posters, the ones who get “left behind”?

The city has become a sample of this toxic culture: one that equates “failure” with disgrace and offers little mental support.

While Kota is under the spotlight, Sikar in Rajasthan is emerging as the new “saviour”. It seems to be a less hectic, less noisy option.

This raises yet another question — does this change anything? And the answer remains the same as always-no, it does not.

MUKHERJEE NAGAR HAS ITS OWN PROBLEMS

Mukherjee Nagar in Delhi suffers from its own set of issues.

Students live in overcrowded accommodations, while paying a fortune for them as landlords overcharge for even the smallest rooms and spaces.

These places often have no fire safety and students must also deal with unhygienic water and sanitation. And of course-the polluted Delhi air that is thick with tension.

UPSC preparation is no longer confined to metros like Delhi or Mumbai. Tier-II and III cities such as Bhopal, Indore, Patna, and Dehradun are also emerging as strong IAS hubs.

IS THIS REALLY NECESSARY?

All this forces us to rethink whether these centres really are a necessity or just a tradition that we carry from a bygone era.

The truth is, we don’t need these hubs. They are a result of an outdated system that profits from negligence in school education.

The drive towards coaching has turned into a culture — one where students are expected to move out of their homes, away from their families, put their lives on hold and survive in pressure-cooker environments.

This isn’t learning or education, this is a race. And in a race where lakhs of students compete for a few thousand seats, we forget to ask: at what cost?

Students are made to believe that this is the only way. That suffering is the only way to success.

FIX THE SYSTEM, NOT JUST THE SYMPTOMS

If we truly want to make a change, we need to shift the focus from treating the symptoms to, for once, actually trying to fix the system.

We need to start by understanding that coaching cannot be a replacement for schools. There is a need for an updated school system with not just better-trained teachers but also more interactive ways of teaching.

In recent years, we have seen many examples of students cracking tough exams like IIT-JEE, NEET, even UPSC through self-study.

In a world where the internet is so easily accessible, knowledge is just a click away.

From free lectures on YouTube, online mock tests to government platforms like SWAYAM and NPTEL — high-quality study material is readily available.

Many toppers now openly admit that they prepared through online videos, followed a proper timetable at home and avoided stress and distraction to help focus on their studies.

This shift is especially empowering for students from economically weaker backgrounds.

Now, with just a stable internet connection, a basic smartphone or a laptop, they can prepare for these exams without having to pay a fortune.

SUCCESS ISN’T ONE-SIZE-FITS-ALL

It is also crucial to understand that not every child needs to be a doctor, engineer or a civil servant. Parents should introduce their children to a range of career options early on in life, based on their strengths and interests.

It is time to stop glorifying coaching hubs and to work on a better system. Better schools, supportive teachers and updated exam structures.

Success should never come at the cost of mental health, childhood, or life.

-Article by Arima Singh

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