If the series Kota Factory showed you the pressure, the stakes in real Kota are higher. 14 student suicides till May 2025. But IAS Ravindra Goswami and ASP Chandrasheel Thakur are fighting to change that.
Every year, lakhs of students arrive in Kota chasing NEET and JEE dreams. But 15-hour study schedules with no breaks, no friends, and no hobbies break them instead.
Their parents mortgage futures. Coaching fees cross ₹5 lakhs. For many, failure isn’t an option. It’s a crisis.
IAS Ravindra Goswami, the District Magistrate of Kota, is rebuilding the system—one child at a time. He’s met over 10,000 students personally—to listen, not lecture.
He has launched 24x7 helplines, installed anti-suicide fans and window grills, and brought police, hostel wardens, and coaching institutes on the same page.
He even introduced something Kota had never seen, Happiness Classes, where children learn not just how to succeed, but how to survive failure.
“We tell them—it’s okay to fail,” says Dr. Goswami. “One result should never define your life.” Sometimes, that one sentence saves a life.
He also rolled out Gatekeeper Training—a silent revolution. Now, over 5,000 hostel staff can spot warning signs, talk to students, and call in help before it’s too late.
Meanwhile, ASP Chandrasheel Thakur leads Kota’s Student Cell. His team has already reached 80,000 students. Without waiting for SOS calls, every morning, his team walks hostel corridors in plain clothes, just to ask: “How are you, really?”
His message is simple: “Have a Plan B. Sometimes, it’s better than Plan A. Make friends. Find joy. You are more than your exam rank.”
In Kota, you’re no longer alone. Not every child will become a doctor or engineer—and that’s okay. What matters is: you live, you heal, and you find your own path.