Don’t have courage to appear for NEET again, 18-year-old writes, then dies by suicide in Nagpur

NAGPUR: The intense pressure surrounding NEET-UG re-examination, following the paper leak controversy claimed its first victim in Nagpur. An 18-year-old aspiring doctor, Akanksha Chaturvedi, died by suicide on May 20 at her family residence in Ajay Nagar here, but the tragedy was concealed for over a fortnight, even though an accidental death case was registered at Ambazari police station in Nagpur.In her suicide note, Akanksha wrote: "You reposed immense faith on me, but dear parents please forgive me for taking this step. I did very well in my first NEET, but I don't have the courage to appear again. I have wrecked all your resources. Forgive me for creating so much pressure on you." Talking to TOI from Rewa in Madhya Pradesh, a family member said, the condition of her debt-ridden father, who suffered a paralytic attack two months ago, may have taken a toll on her. "Akanksha was euphoric after her first NEET attempt and was convinced she would succeed, but the paper leak left her shattered," said her kin.Akanksha's father, Krishnakumar Chaturvedi, who runs a catering business in Nagpur, said, "I still remember her cheerful face when she returned from the first exam. ‘Father, I will definitely score more than 650 and crack NEET', she told me. She was sincere and determined, but the mounting exam pressure was too overwhelming. She would study round-the-clock and even while having her lunch. The re-examination announcement on May 3 came like a thunderbolt and she began sinking."The family borrowed heavily, took loans of around Rs 16 lakh from banks and relatives to fund her coaching, including Rs 3 lakh from his ‘kisan card', said sources. "My daughter promised to support her younger brother's studies after she became a doctor. But now she's gone forever," said Krishnakumar.Akanksha died by suicide in the afternoon, when her family was taking a nap. Her body was discovered later that day. The suicide note was found by the family on May 21. Her autopsy was conducted at Govt Medical College and Hospital.The incident drew sharp reactions from Opposition leaders, who linked the tragedy to systemic failures in the conduct of NEET examination.Rahul Gandhi, in a post on X from his handle stated: "Akanksha wanted to become a doctor to serve the country and society. Akanksha's father is a farmer. To fulfil his daughter's dream of becoming a doctor, he took a loan of ₹3 lakh on his farmer credit card. And in Nagpur, he himself took up a job as a cook so that his daughter could do coaching there. A father did everything he could. Then the NEET paper leaked. The exam was cancelled. In that uncertainty, Akanksha left us. Akanksha's death is not suicide — it is the gift of a corrupt, broken system under Modi ji."Similarly, Arvind Kejriwal from his X handle commented on the pattern of NEET-related suicides: "The family had taken a loan to educate their daughter. Broken by the NEET paper leak, the daughter committed suicide. In her suicide note, she wrote, ‘Mom-Dad, I do not have the courage to appear for the exam again.' Conducting the exam again is not justice. The education mafia that has captured the govt must be eliminated. So many children have committed suicide. When will they get justice for their deaths?" Maharashtra Congress' Vijay Wadettiwar attacked the Modi government over the NEET paper leak scandal that led to Akanksha's tragic suicide. He demanded education minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation, terming his continuance "destructive" for India's youth.