Three medical aspirants allegedly died by suicide in Madurai, Dharmapuri and Namakkal, within a span of few hours, on Saturday, fearing failure in the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) slated for Sunday.
In Madurai, M. Jothi Sri Durga, 19, left a note in which she said, “I have prepared well for the examination, but still I fear …what if I do not get [a medical] seat.” She also recorded an audio message for her family.
The girl, whose father Murugasundaram is a Sub-Inspector of Police, was residing at the Tamil Nadu Special Police VI Battalion quarters and was undergoing coaching for her second attempt to clear NEET. A close family member said that she completed schooling in 2019, appeared for NEET last year and scored 110 marks. This did not fetch her a medical seat.
Her body was taken to the Government Rajaji Hospital for post-mortem. Later, it was cremated at the Corporation crematorium at Thathaneri.
Several political leaders, including Revenue Minister R.B. Udhayakumar, met her family and consoled them. DMK youth-wing leader Udhayanidhi Stalin handed over a cheque for ₹5 lakh to them on behalf of his party.
In Dharmapuri, medical aspirant Adithya, 20, ended his life at his house in Senthil Nagar on Saturday evening, when his parents Manivannan and Jayachitra were away.
He was going to attempt NEET for a third time. Superintendent of Police Pravesh Kumar, who inspected the house, said that no suicide note was found.
On Saturday night, M. Motilal, 21, who was preparing to attempt NEET for a third time, allegedly ended his life at his house in Tiruchengode, Namakkal district. His father Murugesan runs an electrical shop. Motilal had passed Class XII in 2017, scoring 1,081 marks.
Namakkal Superintendent of Police S. Sakthi Ganesan said that no suicide note was found and the reason for the boy’s death was being ascertained.
Earlier, DMK Tirupparankundram MLA P. Saravanan, who offered condolences to Durga’s family, said that depression and fear of NEET had claimed yet another life in Tamil Nadu. He contended that in the absence of a uniform school syllabus across the country, a nationwide common entrance test for medical admissions was illogical.
Protest in Madurai
“None of the 19,000 students who were offered free NEET coaching through the 412 government-run coaching centres could clear the entrance last year. This reveals that poor and rural students need special coaching to clear NEET and that comes at a huge cost,” he said. Until the education system is fortified in Tamil Nadu, NEET should be scrapped, he added.
Cadre of various political parties and student organisations staged a demonstration in Madurai against the conduct of NEET.
[Assistance for overcoming suicidal thoughts is available on Tamil Nadu’s health helpline 104 and Sneha’s suicide prevention helpline 044-24640050.]
