Kota (Rajasthan) (PTI): Authorities in Rajasthan's Kota district have asked coaching institutes to stop conducting routine tests of students preparing for NEET and other competitive exams for the next two months in the wake of suicides by a number of aspirants.
Over two lakh students move to Kota annually to prepare for competitive exams such as the Joint Entrance Exam (JEE) for engineering and the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) for admission to medical colleges.
According to authorities, 22 students preparing for competitive exams in the district have ended their lives so far in 2023 -- the highest for any year. Last year, the figure was 15.
Two students ended their lives on Sunday, in a span of four hours.
Avishkar Shambaji Kasle (17) jumped off the sixth floor of his coaching institute's building in Jawahar Nagar at around 3.15 pm, minutes after walking out of a room after taking a mock NEET test, police said.
Adarsh Raj (18), who was also preparing for the competitive exam, hanged himself in his rented flat in the Kunhadi police station area at around 7 pm, they said.
The reason behind the two latest suicides is that the aspirants were apparently under pressure for scoring low marks during routine tests conducted by the coaching centres.
Kota district collector O P Bunkar, in an order issued Sunday night, asked the coaching institutes to stop holding routine tests for the next two months.
He said the directions were passed to provide "mental support" to students.
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New Delhi: The National Council for Education Research and Training (NCERT) is reportedly developing two special modules on Operation Sindoor, aimed at familiarising students with India's military capabilities.
“While the first special module on Operation Sindoor will be for students of Classes 3 to 8 and second will be available for Classes 9 to 12. The aim of these modules is to make students aware about India's military power and how Pakistan was defeated once again,” Hindustan Times quotes its source as saying.
Each module will span approximately 8 to 10 pages and will focus on the achievements of the Indian Armed Forces.
These modules are expected to be introduced in the upcoming academic session and will supplement the existing syllabus.
In addition to Operation Sindoor, NCERT is also preparing modules on a range of national achievements and historical events. Upcoming topics include Mission LiFE ('LiFEStyle For Environment'), the horrors of Partition, and India's growing stature in space exploration—from the Chandrayaan and Aditya L1 missions to Subhanshu Shukla’s journey to the International Space Station, HT quoted a source from the education ministry as saying.
Meanwhile, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has written to states, directing them to mandatorily adopt NCERT textbooks for Classes 9 to 12. The board has also “strongly advised” that states use either NCERT or State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) books. Supplementary materials may be used by schools, provided they align with the National Curriculum Framework