Medical Aspirant, 20, Missing For Over A Week In Coaching Hub Kota

Tripti Singh, the missing student

A 20-year-old NEET aspirant has been missing for over a week in the coaching capital Kota, spotlighting the exacting culture of intensive exam coaching and the heavy burden placed on students in this Rajasthan city.

Tripti Singh, from Uttar Pradesh’s Kushinagar, was reported missing on April 23. It is learnt that she went to write her exam on April 21 but has not returned since then.

Ms Singh was staying at a hostel in Gobriya Bavdi area of the city.

“A missing report was registered by the PG owner on April 23. She had gone out to write a test on April 21 but has not come back since then. We have filed a missing complaint. Her family has been informed. They are also searching and so are we,” said police official Bhupendra Singh.

“We are scanning the CCTV footage from railway, bus stations. We have also sent a search team to UP,” the cop added.

The student, said the cop, had visited Vrindavan around Holi.

Earlier this week, a 19-year-old NEET aspirant allegedly died by suicide, making it the seventh such case by a coaching student in Kota since January.

In 2023, there were 26 suspected suicide cases of coaching students in Kota.

This coaching hub, which draws students from all over India, has a floating population of nearly two lakh students, some of them away from home for the first time alone and vulnerable.