"I am responsible for my suicide. I cannot fulfill papa's dream." This is from suicide letter of a student from Kota. A common cause for concern is the pressure from parents to do well in the national board examinations, especially for Class XII. As scores in these exams often determine college admissions and subsequent employment opportunities, students aged 16-18 are often subjected to undue pressure at home to succeed. When they don't, suicide becomes a way out. The constant pressures of scoring well, meeting deadlines, increasing workload, ideas of excellence, competition, alienation, lack of space to share or even understand the stresses and despair generated from such pressures are making students walking bundles of nervous wreck ready to break down at any moment. 

The motive when students kill themselves is invariably academic pressure - this accounts for 99 per cent suicides in the age group 12-18. National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) counts the number of suicides due to “Failure in Examination” every year. This cause of suicide and the number of deaths resulting from it are significant enough for NCRB to not relegate it to “Other Causes”. 

Suicide is the second leading cause of death among teens. 

According to Health Ministry, out of every three cases of suicide reported every 15 minutes in India, one is committed by a youth in the age group of 15 to 29. Every 90 minutes a teenager tries to commit suicide in India. Between 2012 and 2014, a total of 22,319 suicides by students were recorded by NCRB.

Higher education institutions today have become hubs of depression and suicides are only a very small and extreme manifestation of it. It isn't the suicides and suicide attempts, but this revelation from a recent survey that surprises everyone, according to it every third person in the age group of 15-19 is looking for help as they are struggling with ‘mental health’ difficulties. 

People demanded that government set up a counselling centre in Kota. Succumbing to pressure from people, coaching institutes in Kota came together to start a counselling helpline. But as further reports showed, this helpline too is overburdened, with only two doctors, for over a lakh students studying in the city. And the suicides still continue. 

To help not just the students of Kota, but to help all students in distress. Few Samaritans have started a Free Online Counselling Portal. "A Hopeful Tomorrow (ahopefultomorrow.com)" helps students interact with counselors for free. (And the best thing is that the counselling services can be availed "Anonymously".) Their counselors will help students address their issues in the right way. "A Hopeful Tomorrow" being an online portal, might not help people who are on the verge of suicide. However, their aim is to ensure no student is turning suicidal. They are trying to provide an emotional support system, using which people can cope up with depression and not turn suicidal. Please share this message until it reaches every student. Together, let's resolve to end student suicides. Lets spread the message. 

 Depression is 21st century epidemic. Lets kill it, before it kills us. Even the most severe depression is treatable. So, if your depression is keeping you from living the life you want to, don't hesitate to seek help.