Exam Chaos and Student Suicides: The Human Cost of NTA's Failures

The failure in the National Eligibility-cum Entrance Test (NEET) has led to anger, uncertainty, and loss.

The growing stress around compettive exams is already known. However, when there is an added weight of negligence by the governmental institutions, the students pay the price.

(From left the right) Bhagyashree, Akanksha, Pradeep, and Ritik.

(Photo: Vibhushita Singh / The Quint)

(Trigger Warning: Mentions of suicide and bullying. If you feel suicidal or know someone in distress, please reach out to them with kindness and call these numbers of local emergency services, helplines, and mental health NGOs.)

Dharmendra Pradhan had recently announced 21 June as the date for the National Eligibilty-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) re-examination after the National Testing Agency (NTA) on 12 May, cancelled the earlier attempt which took place in the first week of May, with over 22 lakh applicants. The cancellation was done citing a question paper leak as the cause.

The paper leak, coupled with the cancellation of the exam, ignited doubt, fear, and hopelessness in students across the country. These developments therefore, had a drastic effect on student and their families, with many allegedly taking their own lives under stress.

This is the story of the many young lives lost due to mismanagement, systemic failures, and government neglect.

Pradeep Meghwal

In Sikar, Rajasthan, a boy allegedly died by suicide at his residence on 15 May. Pradeep Meghwal, a 22-year-old, had spent three years preparing for the exam, according to his parents, and was under a lot of stress after the leak. His father, Rajesh Kumar Meghwal, told the police that with the cancellation, "he became disturbed and depressed." Frontline Reported.

The family recalled that Pradeep was very confident of getting admission to a premier medical institution in this attempt and was expected to score around 650 out of 720 marks.

Pradeep Meghwal

(Source: X)

"We believed he would finally become a doctor."

Pradeep's Father, reports The Frontline

Maithli Ashok Sonwane

On 16 May, an 18-year-old girl, Maithli Ashok Sonwane, died by suicide at her family's farm in Latur, Maharashtra. Her parents and family discussed how the exam cancellation had left her stressed and uncertain. Furthermore, after the announcement of the re-examination for 21 June, Maithli had been overburdened by rumours on social media about different patterns and tougher questions.

In a complaint made to the police, her father, Ashok Vitthal Sonwane, stated that the cancellation had left Maithli under severe mental stress, holding NEET responsible for the child's death, The Wire reported.

Akanksha Chaturvedi

In another such heart-wrenching tale, Akanksha Chaturvedi, another 18-year-old aspirant, wrote, "I do not dare to appear for a retest." As her body was found hanging at 3 PM on 20 May, at her residence in Nagpur, where she and her family had come for her preparation in a medical coaching.

Her family belonged to Maganiya village in Mauganj, Madhya Pradesh, where her father, Krishna Kumar Chaubey, cultivated a small plot of land and worked as a cook to meet expenses, including her coaching fees. Her parents said she felt confident and hopeful, and expected to score more than 650 marks in the 3rd May exam, The Indian Express reported.

However, that hope culminated in heartbreak.

Akanksha Chaturvedi

(Source: X)

"In the first test, I was going to score good marks. But there is no guarantee that I will score well again, sorry, Mummy, Papa, I have ruined everything for both of you."

Akanksha wrote in a note found by her Parents.

The family, according to relatives, had taken a Kisan Credit Card loan of around 3 lakh rupees and had sought financial help from relatives to fund their daughter's preparation, as reported by The Times of India.

Anshika Pandey

Anshika Pandey, a 20-year-old from Adarsh Nagar, Delhi, allegedly committed suicide following the news of the paper leak and cancellation. The relatives mentioned how, "after she got to know about the paper leak and cancellation of the exam through the news, she went into depression," The Times Of India mentioned.

According to relatives, she had been preparing for the examination for more than three years and had missed a seat by four marks in 2025. The family said that she was hopeful of a good rank and often spoke with her parents about getting into a good medical college and building a future.

Ritik Mishra

Ritik Mishra, 21, belonging to Lakhimpur Kheri in Uttar Pradesh, allegedly died by suicide, after being devastated by the NEET announcement and the paper leak. Ritik, according to the family, had given the exam for the third time and had gone through a lot of stress and uncertainty following the leak and the NTA's announcement.

His father, Anok Mishra, expressed how the system had failed students.

Ritik Mishra (Right)

(Source: Al Jazeera)

"For us, this is a systemic killing caused by negligence and failure," said Ritik's father, Anok Mishra, reports Al Jazeera

Siddharth Hegde

A similar incident occurred in Goa, when 17-year-old Siddharth Hegde committed suicide on 12 May, late at night. Earlier reports mentioned how the child committed suicide because of constant pressure for two years, balancing his preparation with hockey, a game that he loved dearly.

However, later, the police officials stated that the news of the cancellation of the exam might have contributed to the mental stress, being an additional cause of the suicide, OneIndia mentions.

Rima Begum

In the Kokrajhar district of Assam, Rima Begum, an 18-year-old NEET aspirant, was found dead when she was taken to a hospital after being found unconscious in her room on 13 June, as reported by The Assam Enquiry. The family stated that Rima had been going through severe mental and emotional distress, as the NEET announcement had left things uncertain.

The channel reports that the family's economic distress had also affected her, as she was dedicated towards the medical entrance examinations to become a doctor, and support her family.

Bhagyashree Patil

In Kalaburgi, Karnataka, an 18-year-old girl was found hanging. Bhagyashree Patil recently gave her 12th-class examinations and the NEET. Her father, Rajashekhar Patil, told journalists that the NEET paper leak might have been the reason for her taking this step, as reported by the Deccan Chronicle.

Bhagyashree Patil

(Source: X)

"She had a feeling about writing the NEET exam again and she was silent. I had told her not to worry. She wanted to become a doctor. But she had been silent and appeared disturbed in recent days.”

Bhagyashree's Father, according to Deccan Chronicle

However, the father stated that the family does not want to accuse anyone for the death.