In a bid to tackle the alarming rise in student suicides, the Kota police have partnered with Meta, the parent company of social media platforms Facebook and Instagram. This collaboration aims to identify and intervene in cases where students exhibit suicidal tendencies on these platforms, potentially saving lives.

The initiative comes in the wake of a concerning trend, with nine student suicides reported in Kota this year alone, the latest case occurring on April 30. Last year saw a staggering 26 suicides among coaching students in the city, marking a record high.

SP Amrita Duhan of Kota city initiated the collaboration with Meta after recognizing that some suicide cases involved students expressing distress and suicidal thoughts on social media. The timely intervention could potentially prevent these tragic incidents.

Since the commencement of this collaboration just a week ago, the Kota police have already successfully prevented a student from Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan, from taking their own life in this renowned coaching hub. Kota attracts young aspirants from all corners of the country who come to prepare for various competitive exams.

Under the agreement, Meta will not only share information alone to Kota but extend its scope to cover the entire state of Rajasthan. A dedicated team, operating on eight-hour shifts at the Abhay Command Centre in Kota, has been tasked with monitoring red-flag tags denoting suicidal tendencies shared by Meta. This information will enable timely alerts to the respective area police, facilitating prompt intervention.

With approval from the DGP Police Headquarters in Jaipur, the Kota police have taken up the responsibility for the entire state. In instances where the student in distress is from outside Kota, the details will be relayed to the Abhay Command Centre or the relevant district's Control Room for immediate action.

This teamwork between the police and social media platforms is a big move to protect students' mental health in Kota and all over Rajasthan.