https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

The Long and Dangerous Road to their Homes

When 60,000 frightened students getting coaching in Kota and their parents from other states were pleading to be reunited with each other, at the peak of the lockdown, IAS officer Om Kasera, posted as the District Magistrate there, went out of his way to send the teenagers home.
Indian Masterminds Stories

The commencement of lockdown in India was so sudden that thousands of people were unexpectedly stranded in the locations they were residing in. We have come across numerous cases of the plight of migrant workers, but no one knew or seemed to care much about the plight of teenage students left stranded without food or facilities, except one person- Mr. Om Kasera, the District Magistrate of Kota. As is well known to many, Kota in Rajasthan is the coaching hub of the country.

In an exclusive conversation with Indian Masterminds, the 2012 batch Rajasthan cadre officer Mr Kasera explained the entire evacuation process and how he was able to send 60,000 students back to their homes.

Sketch made by a student, thanking Mr. Kasera

CONCERNED SINCE THE BEGINNING

Numerous young teenagers starting from the age of 14 years stay in Kota to get coached for examinations like JEE and NEET. Children of this particular age are extremely vulnerable and emotional, which is why the phrase ‘Kota Kills’ exist as some students are not able to bear little failures that come their way and consider suicide a better option.

In such a situation, when the country went under lockdown, Mr. Kasera got extremely worried about the well-being of these youngsters living away from their families.

Mr. Kasera received numerous calls in his office from concerned parents

“Initially, we weren’t aware of how many students are stranded as they all lived in different accommodations, including private ones. Later on, we came to know that around 60,000 students were stuck here” he stated.

“TAKE ME HOME”

As soon as the lockdown was announced, Mr. Kasera started receiving request calls from the students and their parents to allow their child to come home without delay. Their worry, bordering on panic, was understandable.

The first thing that came to Mr. Kasera’s mind was to arrange food to feed all the students, as all eatery around the coaching centers were closed. He launched a helpline where students could call and ask for food. He ensured that no one slept hungrily. He visited a large number of students personally, and each one of them had just one request: I want to go home.

Mr. Kasera prepared a video, counseling students

“It was difficult to manage everything as I was bombarded with calls and tweets from parents and their children. All of them were scared. I decided to appoint one psychological counselor for every 50-100 students, who would look after their mental health so that the student would not take a wrong step” Mr. Kasera told Indian Masterminds.

LOCKDOWN 2.0

The situation worsened when lockdown 2.0 was announced. Parents and students became hysterical to reunite with each other. Mr. Kasera was scared that the students might take an extreme step out of sheer anguish. This was when he frantically started dialing up important people up in the hierarchy, hoping for a timely solution.

Students being scanned for temperature before leaving Kota

Rajasthan Chief Minister Mr. Ashok Gehlot understood the situation and even mentioned it to the Prime Minister, Mr. Narendra Modi. The CM even talked to the government of different states to take the students in.

“The government of Uttar Pradesh agreed to take in the students first and sent 200 busses for transportation, and we also arranged a few busses from here. We ensured that the students were wearing masks and gave them food packages for the journey and thus, the first batch of students was sent successfully” said Mr. Kasera.

Happy students on their way back home

THE LONG ROAD HOME

Mr. Kasera recorded counseling videos for the students and made them fill out online forms so that he knows the location of the place where the students were going. Now that he knew the exact number of students going to different states, he planned out the number of busses needed, and also mapped out the routes.

For students living far away, Mr. Kasera arranged for trains to take them home. “The first train that ran during peak lockdown was from Kota and we started sending students to states like Bihar. We delivered IRCTC messages to every student’s phone, gave them food packages, ensured their safety, and set them off” he held.

Trains were arranged to send students to far off states

In some cases, students were sent to far off places like Port Blair in Andaman and Nicobar islands using charter planes. The mission was so successful that not even a single student was injured, misplaced, or infected from Covid-19 even after one month of reaching home!

“Using more than 20 trains and 1500 busses, we finally sent 60,000 students back to their families with the support of the governments and their administration!” Mr. Kasera gleamed with joy.

Their way back home

GARNORED WITH HEARTFELT GRATITUDE

Reaching their home meant a lot to students and they showcased their gratitude by thanking Mr. Kasera using social media, letters, drawings, and notes.

Mr. Kasera received heartfelt gratitude from the students

They even ran an entire Twitter campaign with the hash-tag #ThankYouDMKota and for a good period of time, Mr. Kasera was trending on Twitter!

“It was so unexpected! Even today, I receive messages from the students thanking me. These gestures really touch my heart and give me a sense of satisfaction that I could do something for them. I could understand their situation and did my best to solve it” he told Indian Masterminds.

#ThankYouDMKota trending on twitter

These students, it goes without saying, will remember Mr. Om Kasera for long.


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
Indian Forest Services IFS officer
Uttarakhand Forest Department Set for Major IFS Reshuffle Post Election Code Lift - Details Inside
UPPSC_UPPCS_resized
UPPSC BEO Recruitment 2025: Rules Amended, Legal Hurdles Cleared for 134 Vacancies - Details Inside
Former CJI DY Chandrachud
Former CJI D.Y. Chandrachud Vacates Official Bungalow, Shifts to Teen Murti Marg
Dr Mayank Sharma
Seasoned IDAS Officer Dr. Mayank Sharma Assumes Role of Financial Advisor to the Defence Services
Raj Kumar Arora
Defence Finance Leadership Strengthened: IDAS Officer Raj Kumar Arora Takes Charge as Controller General of Defence Accounts
IPS Manoj Kumar Sharma
Real-Life Hero Honoured Onscreen: IPS Manoj Kumar Sharma Applauds ‘12th Fail’ After National Award Triumph
Department of Post
Banking Made Simpler: IPPB Rolls Out Aadhaar-Based Face Authentication for Inclusive Digital Access
Govt of West Bengal
West Bengal Govt Transfers 34 IFS Officers in Major Reshuffle; New Directors Appointed at Alipore & Darjeeling Zoos - Details Inside
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
IAS Karn Satyarthi
How IAS Karn Satyarthi Transformed Gumla Through Empathy and Innovation
Ananth Rupanagudi IRAS
IRAS Ananth Rupanagudi’s Take on Corruption, Reform, and Duty
WhatsApp Image 2025-07-26 at 13.16
What Most Indians Don't Know About Jim Corbett
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
BPSC Bihar police
From Lantern Light to Police Uniform: How Praveen Kumar from a Small Bihar Village Cracked BPSC to Become SDPO
From a lantern-lit village in Bihar to becoming an SDPO, Praveen Kumar's journey is a testament to resilience,...
IAS Priyansha Garg
Why Mindset Matters: IAS Priyansha Garg’s Mental Health Mantra for UPSC
After two failed prelims, Priyansha Garg cracked UPSC with AIR 31 in her fourth attempt, proving how...
Ashish Akshat
From Setback to State Topper: How Ashish Akshat Topped JPSC While Working Full-Time
Ashish Akshat from Dhanbad topped JPSC 2023, proving that resilience, discipline, and family support...
Social Media
Mudumalai Tiger Reserve
Mudumalai Tiger Reserve: From India’s First Sanctuary to a Tiger Conservation Success Story | International Tiger Day Special
IAS Supriya Sahu Hails Mudumalai's Role in Tiger Conservation on Tiger Day. Declared in 1940, Now Among...
Mangroves
Mangroves: Nature’s Shield Against Disasters, Says Officer Parveen Kaswan on Mangroves Day - Watch His Post Here
Mangroves, with their dense, interlaced root systems, form a mesh-like structure that serves as a buffer...
Retired IPS Inderjit Singh Sidhu
Purpose Doesn’t Retire: How 88-Year-Old Retired DIG Becomes Chandigarh’s ‘Quiet Warrior’ of Cleanliness
Inderjit Singh Sidhu’s Dawn Patrol Earns Applause, Mahindra’s Praise for a Man Who Chose Action Over...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
Indian Forest Services IFS officer
Uttarakhand Forest Department Set for Major IFS Reshuffle Post Election Code Lift - Details Inside
UPPSC_UPPCS_resized
UPPSC BEO Recruitment 2025: Rules Amended, Legal Hurdles Cleared for 134 Vacancies - Details Inside
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
IAS Karn Satyarthi
Ananth Rupanagudi IRAS
WhatsApp Image 2025-07-26 at 13.16
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT