As days passed without any news of Rajendra’s whereabouts, the police have launched a search operation to locate the missing student. Despite their efforts, Rajendra’s location remains a mystery.
With Rs 8,000 in his possession, and a promise to not take wrong steps along his way, a 19-year-old student in Rajasthan’s Kota wrote to his parents that he was leaving home for five years. Rajendra Meena, hailing from Gangarampur’s Bamanwas, was preparing for the medical entrance exam NEET in Kota. The decision to embark on this journey without any explanation left his family in a state of shock and worry.
Rajendra’s father filed a missing report upon learning about his son’s sudden disappearance. The family’s concern escalated when they received a message from Rajendra on their mobile phones, confirming his departure.
According to a report in NDTV, Rajendra had vanished on May 6 after leaving his paying guest accommodation in Kota at 1.30 pm. His family, deeply concerned about his well-being, initiated a frantic search before officially reporting him missing to the authorities.
“I am leaving home and I do not wish to further my education. I have Rs 8,000 with me and will be gone for five years. I will sell my mobile phone and break the SIM card. Please tell mother not to worry about me. I will not take any wrong steps. I have everyone’s numbers with me. If needed, I will call. I will definitely call once a year.”
As days passed without any news of Rajendra’s whereabouts, the police have launched a search operation to locate the missing student. Despite their efforts, Rajendra’s location remains a mystery, leaving his family and the authorities anxious for any leads that could help track him down.
As the search for Rajendra continues, the collective efforts of the police, the community, and Rajendra’s family are focused on unraveling the mystery behind his sudden departure and ensuring his safe return home.
Kota Suicides Spike Expected in April-May, Experts Stress on Mandatory Counselling
In the wake of rising suicides in Rajasthan’s Kota, experts have termed April and May “high-risk months” for NEET and JEE aspirants and called on the district administration to make students’ counselling mandatory in all PGs and hostels.
Recently, two students died by suicide in Kota within a gap of 48 hours a few days before their NEET examination, which was scheduled for May 5.
One amongst them, Bharat, in his suicide note, wrote, “I am sorry papa, please forgive me, I couldn’t do it this time too.” Bharat, a resident of Dholpur, was preparing for the NEET entrance test and had committed suicide by hanging himself.
So far in 2024, nine students have already committed suicide in the city. Last year, 29 students lost their lives due to suicides.
Bhupesh Dikshit, a public health expert at ‘Shikshit Rozgaar Kendra Prabhandhak Samiti’ says, “As major entrance exams are conducted in summer, April and May are like high-risk months. The administration should pay more attention to all those places where coaching centres are operated. The district and police administration should stay alert. Monitoring of all PGs and hostels should be done. Students’ counselling should be made mandatory. Besides this, patrolling during night hours should be intensified and a rapid action team should be formed to monitor the activities of students.”
Psychologist Eena Budhiraja blames rising consumerism for the increasing suicides in Kota. She says, “It’s a fact that every child is talented. But everyone has a different talent. Fish can swim in water, but cannot walk on land. The human brain develops in different ways. But in today’s consumerist world, money is being given more importance. In such a situation, parents want children to take a career where they can earn decent money. This is why they often think their child should either become a doctor or an engineer without considering the child’s actual talent.”
Meanwhile, different surveys in Kota have indicated that four out of every ten students in the city are under depression. There are about 3000 private hostels in Kota, which have thousands of rooms, and over two lakh students come to the city for medical and engineering coaching.