The Supreme Court on Friday the Rajasthan government over the rising number of cases of students dying by suicide in Kota, calling the situation serious, PTI reported.

At least 14 cases have been reported so far this year, the state’s counsel told the court.

The court questioned why the deaths had taken place. The bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan noted that the Supreme Court-appointed task force would need time to submit a full report.

“What are you doing as a state?” Pardiwala asked. “Why are these children dying by suicide and only in Kota? Have you not given it a thought as a state?”

The counsel for Rajasthan said that a special investigation team had been set up to investigate the cases.

Kota is of coaching classes for engineering, medical and civil services exams that attract lakhs of students every year.

The bench also mentioned the case of a National Entrance Eligibility Test aspirant found dead at home in Kota, and accused the state of contempt for failing to file a first information report, PTI reported.

The court said that despite the student residing with her parents since November 2024, instead of the institute’s accommodation, the police were obligated to file the case.

“It was the duty of the police concerned to...