Ceiling fans to come off if students attempt suicide by hanging in Kota

Jaipur: Private hostel owners in the country’s coaching hub Kota are so alarmed by the growing number of suicides  that they will use a special device to save students when they hang themselves from ceiling fans. This device will make sure that the fan comes off and falls to the floor as soon as there is some object hanging from it. The weight will also set out an alarm, drawing attention of other hostel mates and the landlord immediately.

The owner of a hostel in Kota’s Kunhari area has already installed such an alarm. There are nearly 1.75 lakh coaching students preparing for medical and engineering entrance tests in Kota. The city has witnessed a slew of suicides by students. The most common is reason is the pressure of studies.

The device being installed by hostel owners is made of a spring that will come off as soon it strains due to a weight more than 20 kg.

The hostel association has taken several measures to stop students from committing suicide. More than 100 hostels have installed biometric attendance devices. A message is sent to the parents when a student leaves or enters the hostel. It keeps the parents informed about the student’s movements.

The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) recently launched an investigation into suicides by coaching students.

NCPCR officials said they had come across glaring violations not just in the Rajasthan town but in Chandigarh as well where these institutes have mushroomed.

“In Kota, in the past three years 42 suicides of children have been recorded. Commission is of the view that we cannot allow children to die like that. Steps need to be taken to check this disturbing trend,” said Priyank Kanoongo, Member Education, NCPCR, while addressing a press conference here.