Kota sees rise in student suicides, but does it have enough clinical psychologists to tackle crisis?

Kota: Amid a rise in number of suicides by students in Rajasthan’s Kota in 2023, the ‘India's coaching capital’ is grappling with a dearth of clinical psychologists to deal with their mental health. Kota reported as many as 26 cases of suicide by coaching students in 2023, the highest in a year. 

The city is a hub for coaching students who come from across the country. Away from their homes, around 2.50 lakh students are preparing for various entrance exams in the city. The psychological counselling centre in Kota was set up in September this year with an aim to provide them with medical assistance. The counselling centre set up in the New Medical College Hospital, in compliance with the state government's budget announcement, is facing a shortage of clinical psychologists. 

Against the demand of at least five clinical psychologists, one clinical psychologist was appointed at the NMCH. The centre also lacks an adequate number of trained staff.

What has further aggravated the crisis is the non-availability of M Phil in clinical psychology in medical colleges in Rajasthan whereas those serving in government medical colleges in the state received their degrees from other states and are short against the demand.