NEET Aspirant From Odisha Found Dead In Kota Hostel Room

 In yet another tragic incident from Kota, Rajasthan — India’s coaching hub — a 19-year-old NEET aspirant from Odisha was found dead in his hostel room late Sunday night. The shocking event has once again reignited concerns over the mental health of students preparing for competitive exams in the city.

According to police reports, the student, identified as Rohit Das, was found hanging from the ceiling fan in his room located in the Jawahar Nagar area. He had been living in the hostel for the past eight months while preparing for the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET). When he failed to respond to repeated knocks, the hostel staff broke open the door and found him unresponsive.

Kota Police officials confirmed that no suicide note was found at the scene. The body has been sent for post-mortem, and an investigation is underway. “We are verifying the student’s academic records and speaking with his friends and teachers to understand the circumstances,” said Police Inspector Manoj Sharma.

The tragedy took an even darker turn when Rohit’s father, Santosh Das, revealed to the media that his son had been under immense pressure due to poor performance in recent mock tests. He also alleged that the coaching institute had failed to provide proper counseling or emotional support despite repeated requests. “He called me two days ago and said he was tired and couldn’t focus. I told him to come home for a break, but he never got the chance,” his father said with tears in his eyes.

This incident adds to the growing list of student deaths reported in Kota — a city that hosts nearly 2.5 lakh aspirants preparing for engineering and medical entrance exams every year. So far this year alone, at least 27 student suicides have been reported, according to official data.

Mental health experts say the competitive environment and extreme academic pressure are taking a heavy toll on young minds. “Many students come to Kota with dreams of becoming doctors or engineers, but the lack of emotional support, isolation, and fear of failure create unbearable stress,” said Dr. Priya Mehta, a psychologist based in Jaipur.

The Rajasthan government has recently taken several steps to address the crisis, including installing anti-suicide fans, mandating regular counseling sessions, and setting up 24-hour helplines. However, families of students claim these measures are not enough.

As Rohit’s family prepares to take his body back to Odisha, his death serves as yet another grim reminder of the need for urgent reform in India’s academic coaching culture. The education system, they say, must evolve beyond marks and rankings to focus on mental well-being and personal growth.

The investigation continues, but for Kota’s students — and their families — this tragedy has once again raised an urgent question: how many more young lives will be lost before real change happens?