GUWAHATI: A NEET-UG aspirant from Madhya Pradesh's Mauganj district died by suicide after reportedly falling into depression following the cancellation of the medical entrance examination amid the ongoing paper leak controversy.
ALSO READ: Garbage Dump Under Guwahati Club Stadium Flyover Raises Sanitation Concerns
The student, identified as Akanksha Chaturvedi, was among the lakhs of candidates who appeared for the NEET-UG examination conducted on May 3. The National Testing Agency (NTA) cancelled the examination on May 12 following allegations of a paper leak and announced a re-test scheduled for June 21.
According to family members, Akanksha had been preparing extensively for the examination and was expecting to score around 650 marks. They alleged that she became deeply distressed after the exam was cancelled and had been under significant emotional strain in the weeks leading up to her death.
Reports stated that she left behind a note indicating that she did not have the courage to appear for the examination again.
The incident has triggered political reactions, with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi criticising the government over repeated examination controversies and alleged failures in the education system.
Meanwhile, Arvind Kejriwal also reacted to the incident, stating that students affected by repeated examination cancellations and paper leak controversies deserved justice and called for action against those responsible for such irregularities.
In a separate but similar case reported from Jharkhand, a 16-year-old NEET aspirant also died by suicide, with her family claiming that the controversy surrounding the examination had left her struggling with severe depression.