Hyderabad: A 19-year-old NEET aspirant was found dead in Hyderabad’s Miyapur area on the eve of the NEET-UG re-examination, adding to growing concerns over the mounting psychological pressure faced by students amid the ongoing examination crisis.
The deceased, identified as Shaikh Sana, was living with her sisters in Hyderabad while preparing for the medical entrance examination. Police recovered a handwritten note in English from the scene indicating that no individual should be held responsible for her death. Preliminary investigations suggest that examination-related stress may have been a factor behind the suspected suicide.
Shaikh Sana.
Sana’s father, Shaikh Jafar Hussain, is employed in Kuwait. Authorities have launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death.
The incident comes as reports of similar tragedies continue to emerge from different parts of the country in the backdrop of the NEET paper leak controversy and the subsequent re-examination. According to a recent report by Outlook India, at least 13 NEET aspirants took their lives following the pathetic paper leak incident conceded by the National Testing Agency, while handling the conduct of one of the major competitive entrance exams of the country.
In Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, a 22-year-old NEET aspirant was recently found dead after allegedly taking his own life days before the re-test. Police reportedly recovered a video from his phone in which he expressed frustration and exhaustion after repeated attempts to clear the examination.
Recent media reports have also highlighted multiple deaths of medical aspirants across several states following the cancellation of the original NEET-UG examination over allegations of a question paper leak. National reports indicate that a number of student suicides have been recorded in the weeks between the cancellation of the May examination and the June re-test, drawing attention to the emotional strain experienced by candidates preparing for one of India’s most competitive entrance examinations.
The latest death in Hyderabad has renewed concerns about the mental health impact of prolonged uncertainty surrounding the examination process.