NEET Re-Test Tragedy: Three Tamil Nadu Aspirants Die by Suicide Ahead of Re-Examination, Sparking Fresh Political Outrage

The deaths of three young NEET aspirants in Tamil Nadu in the days leading up to the June 21 re-examination have once again brought the intense pressure surrounding India’s medical entrance test under sharp focus.

Senior state officials and police have confirmed that the students died by suicide in separate incidents in Salem, Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri districts, triggering widespread grief and renewed political criticism of the examination system.

The students have been identified as 19-year-old S. Gopika from Vellalapuram near Edappadi in Salem district, 19-year-old R.

Roshini from Endapatti near Palacode in Dharmapuri district, and 20-year-old C. Vetri Anandan from Bagalur Road near Hosur in Krishnagiri district.

Their deaths come against the backdrop of mounting anxiety among NEET aspirants across the country.

The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), originally conducted on May 3, was cancelled following allegations of a question paper leak, necessitating a re-examination on June 21.

Earlier reports by The Media had documented at least 12 student suicides in different parts of India since the original examination date.

Gopika had completed her schooling in 2024 and had spent two years preparing for the highly competitive examination.

Her family said she came from modest circumstances.

Her father worked as a daily wage labourer in a salon, while her mother managed the household.

Unable to afford expensive coaching classes, Gopika prepared for the examination largely on her own.

She had already appeared for NEET three times, including the May 3 examination, and had been preparing once again for the re-test.

According to police officials, Gopika had spoken to her father about the immense stress she was experiencing due to the increasingly demanding nature of the examination.

The announcement of a fresh test reportedly heightened her anxiety. On Friday afternoon, after her parents had left for work and her elder sister was away, she was found unconscious following a suspected suicide attempt.

She was rushed to a hospital in Edappadi and later referred to Salem Government Hospital, where doctors declared her dead.

The Konganapuram police have registered a case and are investigating the circumstances surrounding her death.

In Dharmapuri district, Roshini had completed Class 12 this year and had undergone NEET coaching in Namakkal.

She returned home two months ago to continue her preparations independently and had been allotted an examination centre in Dharmapuri for the June 21 re-test.

Police said her father, Ramakrishnan, found her dead when he returned home on Saturday evening.

Her body has been sent to Dharmapuri Medical College Hospital for post-mortem examination.

Investigators said they were still examining the circumstances of her death and had not yet conclusively linked it to examination-related stress.

The third death was reported from Krishnagiri district. Vetri Anandan had completed Class 12 in 2023 and had spent two years at a coaching centre in Namakkal.

After failing to clear NEET in previous attempts, he had continued his preparations from home and had appeared for the examination again on May 3.

Police sources said he believed he had performed well in the original test and was deeply upset after its cancellation, which forced him to restart preparations.

On Saturday afternoon, while his mother had briefly stepped out to a nearby shop, Vetri Anandan died by suicide at his home.

Investigators recovered a note in which he reportedly wrote that he had been unable to sleep properly for nearly a month due to his fear of the examination and the possibility of failing once again.

The note also stated that no one should be held responsible for his decision and included an apology to his parents and brother.

His body has been sent to Hosur Government Hospital for post-mortem examination.

In another disturbing development, an 18-year-old girl from Coonoor in the Nilgiris district, who had received coaching at a private institute in Salem, allegedly attempted suicide on Sunday morning before leaving for her NEET examination centre.

She was admitted to a private hospital and remains under intensive medical care.

The incidents have reignited the long-standing debate over NEET in Tamil Nadu, where political parties have repeatedly argued that the examination places enormous psychological and financial burdens on students.

The DMK’s students’ wing announced a protest on Tuesday, holding the BJP-led Central government responsible for what it described as continuing distress caused by NEET.

PMK president Dr Anbumani Ramadoss said the latest deaths demonstrated the urgent need either to abolish NEET nationwide or to exempt Tamil Nadu from the examination altogether.

Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) president Thol Thirumavalavan also urged the Tamil Nadu government to pursue all possible legal avenues to secure an exemption for the state, saying the recurring tragedies underscored the emotional toll the examination has taken on students and their families.