For Ramesh Kumar (name changed) from Bulandshahr in UP, 2023 was the worst year of his life. His family is still coming to terms with the loss of their elder son, who killed himself in a hostel room in Rajasthan’s Kota where he had been preparing for the medical entrance exam for the two years.

Kumar’s son is among 26 coaching students who died by suicide this year in Kota, the highest-ever figure. Last year, the toll was 15. The spate of student suicides also prompted the stakeholders to come up with desperate measures such as installing anti-hanging devices in hostel room fans and iron mesh in balconies and lobbies.