Last Week, Three Girl Students Committed Suicide in Andhra, Telangana

Suicide by three girl students in the twin states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana in the first week of February has sent shock waves across the country and highlighted a host of simmering problems faced by students. Two doctor aspirants in Andhra Pradesh, Ragari Chandra Nagamani, 18, and Chakali Vijayalakshmi, 18, and a Class 9 Student in Telangana, K Sai Deepthi, 14, committed suicide. All the three took the extreme step by hanging themselves in different incidents.

K Sai Deepthi: "They didn't allow me to write the exam. Sorry, Mom." K Sai Deepthi left a suicide note with these words and committed suicide on February 1. According to media reports, Deepthi was humiliated in front of her classmates by her teacher for non-payment of fees and was also denied permission to write an exam. She was studying at Jyothi High School, Malkajgiri, Hyderabad.

According to Deepthi’s parents, Deepthi had to face a casteist insult by her teacher. “All you Mala-Madigas (Scheduled Castes) don't pay fees, then why do you come to school?” the Jyothi High School teacher allegedly insulted Deepthi in her class before denying her to take an exam that day. Telangana police registered a case and are probing into the matter.

Ragari Chandra Nagamani: NEET aspirant Nagamani was studying in Sri Chaitanya College-cum-Hostel, Edupugallu branch in Vijayawada. On February 3, she was found hanging in a vacant classroom in the college. In a suicide letter she left behind, it was mentioned that she was committing suicide because of “personal reasons”. Nagamani was a native of Nallamada village in Anantapur district. It has been reported that the District collector B Lakshmikantham ordered an inquiry into her death, while the state police registered the case under section 174 (unnatural death).

Chakali Vijayalakshmi: On February 2, Vijayalakshmi was denied permission to take her practical exam which commenced on that day, when she reached the examination center allegedly by half an hour late. Depressed over the incident, Nagamani went back to home and hanged herself to the ceiling fan. She was a second-year BiPC student in Adoni Arts and Science College, Kurnool. Not knowing the reason for her death, her family members and relatives quietly performed her last rites on the same day evening. However, when some student organisations protested at the Adoni college on the incident, currently, the district police have booked a case in this regard and the investigation is ongoing.

Did you know that the suicide crisis among Indian students is worsening? Especially in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, a large number of students studying in private junior colleges kill themselves, due to the inhumane pressure they face from the unprofessional lecturers, high fees and pressure to perform, as per media reports. In the Telugu states, between September and October months last year, fifty students have reportedly committed suicide.

Currently, the Hyderabad High Court is hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) on the increasing number of student suicides in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. In the petition, it has been alleged that one of the main offenders is Narayana group colleges which are owned by P Narayana, municipal administration and urban development minister, Andhra Pradesh.

In the last three years, over 26000 students killed themselves in the country? In 2016 alone, the official number is 9474. That is, one student commits suicide every hour in our country.

While the official data and media reports confirm the disillusioned condition of the educational system in the country, with mere preventive measure taken up by state and central governments, the situation is worsening.

In the recently announced Union Budget for the financial Year 2018-2019, the allocation to education sector is 3.48% of the total budget, lower than that of last year which was 3.69%. Such a vision is bound to further increase frustration among students as they are deprived of educational opportunities.