Coimbatore, June 18: In a heartbreaking series of events, four NEET aspirants have taken their own lives in just two days across different states in India. The latest incident involves a 19-year-old student, Anukeerthana, who was preparing for the NEET examination in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu. She reportedly consumed poison on Wednesday morning, leaving behind a distressing WhatsApp message for her family.
In her message, Anukeerthana expressed her fears about retaking the NEET exam after it was cancelled due to a paper leak. She mentioned the financial burden on her family and her inability to face them after such an incident.
Meanwhile, in Ahmedabad, a 17-year-old student jumped from the sixth floor of a building in the New Rani P area around 2:30 AM on the same day. Authorities confirmed that he was also preparing for the NEET exam, although the exact reasons for his suicide remain unclear.
These tragic incidents mark the fourth case of NEET student suicides in recent days. Earlier, on June 16, a 23-year-old student in Dehradun and a 17-year-old girl in Lucknow also took their lives. Since the NEET exam was cancelled on May 12, approximately 12 students across the country have reportedly committed suicide.
Anukeerthana, who lived in Park Town, Coimbatore, was the eldest daughter in her family. Her father, Senthil Prabhu, is the district secretary of a trade union. She had dreams of becoming a doctor to help the underprivileged. The cancellation of the NEET exam and the announcement of a re-examination on June 21 left her in deep distress.
After sending a lengthy WhatsApp message to her relatives, her family found her unconscious in her room. She was rushed to a private hospital in the city, where she was declared dead.
Following this tragedy, her family has demanded the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Protests were held by members of the CPM district committee at the ESI hospital, calling for a ban on the NEET examination. The police have seized Anukeerthana’s mobile phone as part of their investigation.
The NEET-UG exam, which was conducted on May 3, 2026, faced allegations of question paper leaks and irregularities, leading to its cancellation. The National Testing Agency (NTA) decided to hold a re-examination based on the findings of the investigation.
NEET, or the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test, is a crucial examination for admission into medical and dental courses in India, affecting millions of students each year.