NEET aspirant dies by suicide, Rahul Gandhi says Modi government ruined education system

An 18-year-old student preparing for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for medical college admissions has died by suicide, The Indian Express reported on Thursday.

The student, Akansha Chaturvedi, died on May 20 in Nagpur. More than two weeks after her death, her relatives reportedly found a handwritten note in which she had said that she did not have the “courage to take the NEET exam again”.

Chaturvedi’s death sparked sharp criticism of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan by Opposition leaders, who accused the Narendra Modi-led Centre of large-scale mismanagement of the entrance examination.

More than 22 lakh candidates had appeared for the NEET-UG exam that was conducted on May 3. However, the National Testing Agency on May 12 cancelled the test following allegations of a paper leak.

Similar allegations of paper leaks and irregular grace marks had emerged during the 2024 undergraduate National Eligibility cum Entrance Test.

Chaturvedi hailed from Madhya Pradesh’s Mauganj district, and had been preparing for medical entrance exams at a coaching centre in Nagpur. After she died, the Nagpur Police had registered a case of accidental death, The Indian Express reported.

The police had said at the time that they did not find any suicide note.

Chaturvedi’s handwritten note reportedly found by her relatives said that while she would have scored well in her first attempt at the NEET...

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