Kota: Police have recovered the body of a 16-year-old student in Kota, Rajasthan, who was missing since February 11 this year. The student, Rachit Sondhiya, was preparing for the IIT JEE exam in Kota, which is the hub of coaching centres for entrance exams in India.

Rachit Sondhiya hailed from Madhya Pradesh. The police had been searching for the missing student’s body for a week, with the help of sniffer dogs and drones. Rachit’s body was recovered from the Chambal valley in Rajasthan.

Reports say that closed circuit television (CCTV) footage revealed that Rachit was last seen entering the forest area near the Garadiya Mahadev temple. He had reportedly left his hostel on the pretext of appearing for an exam.

The police suspect that the Kota student may have died by suicide by jumping from the hill.

Kota missing students in recent times

In a rising case of student suicides in Kota, two more students have gone missing from the town.

Piyush Kapasia, an aspiring JEE candidate from Uttar Pradesh, has been missing since February 13 and the police are on the lookout for him

Another student, Yuvraj, has gone missing from Kota. The 18-year-old belonged to Sikar and was studying to appear for the NEET entrance test. He left his coaching centre around 7 am on Saturday and has not returned yet.

Students often live alone in hostels in Kota without any family support. The pressures of studying for the exams and passing with flying colours takes a toll on their mental and physical health. As a result, there have been rising cases of suicide and self-harm in Kota. The students need mentorship and guidance for the exams and to understand that suicide is not the solution to anything.