Random calls to students, checks in hostels: Cops turn counsellors in Kota

Kota: Is anything bothering you? Do you really want to become an engineer or a doctor? Are you able to follow what is taught in class? Is food served in the mess good? These are some of the questions posed to coaching students here by a team of police personnel who have turned counsellors.

Rocked by a spate of student suicides, the city police has set up a dedicated “Student Cell” to reach out to students and make attempts to detect early signs of stress and depression. “The cell has a control room where personnel are deputed to receive calls on the dedicated helpline. They attend to the problems reported on calls and direct them to counsellors if a student needs professional help. There are teams that conduct random checks in hostels, interact with students, counsel them and report to their parents if they spot some signs of pressure, stress or depression,” Kota Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Chandrasheel Thakur told reporters.

Thakur heads a team of 11 police personnel. They were chosen as all are in their 40s and have teenage children, which will help them in understanding the challenges faced by the students, he said.

The team starts its day at 9 am and visits at least 15 hostels daily. From familiarising the students with the dedicated cell, sharing the helpline number with them, counselling them into reaching out for help and also having a plan B ready, the team spends time among students but not in uniform.

“We have reached out to 60,000 students so far. Sometimes students are reluctant to share with us that they are under some kind of pressure from parents. We also reach out to wardens to be able to tell us if they spot any change in the behaviour of students, if he or she is missing classes or skipping meals. If we identify such students, we are able to get them help much before they reach a stage where they take any extreme step,” Thakur said.