3rd NEET aspirant dies by suicide in 4 days across Tamil Nadu
This is the third suspected suicide of a NEET aspirant in four days, and adds to the dozens of deaths since the common entrance exam for medical courses was first introduced in 2017.
A 17-year-old girl, a NEET aspirant and the daughter of daily wage labourers, is believed to have killed herself over the fear that she may not clear the crucial entrance exam to pursue medical courses in Tamil Nadu’s Vellore district, police said, in the third such case to be reported in the state this week.
This is the third suspected suicide of a NEET aspirant in four days, and adds to the dozens of deaths since the common entrance exam for medical courses was first introduced in 2017.
There is staunch opposition against the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) for undergraduate admission to medical courses in Tamil Nadu. The state assembly on Monday passed a bill that supported scrapping of the NEET exam and admitting students into courses based on their performance in the Class 12 tests. The legislation requires the President’s assent to be enacted.
The bill, which said it was in favour of “social justice” was supported by all parties with the exception of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The argument in the state, now led by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), is that NEET puts at a disadvantage students from rural and poor backgrounds (who cannot afford coaching), and those studying in boards other than the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE).
On Wednesday, the teenager was found hanging at her home in a village around 9am after her parents left for work. The girl, a student of a government school in Vellore’s Thottapalayam, had appeared for the exam on Sunday.
“For the past three days she had been very upset and had expressed to her family that she had not written the exam well,” said a police officer who did not wish to be named. The girl’s parents -- both labourers -- said they consoled her and told her she could pursue other professions if she didn’t clear the exam, he said, adding that she had scored 85% in Class 12 final exams.
The girl was the youngest among four siblings and her three sisters are married. Her body has been sent to the Vellore Government Hospital and Medical College for post-mortem.
NEET 2021 was conducted across 202 cities on Sunday, after the Supreme Court recently rejected a plea by a group of students to postpone the exam. The top court said it did not want to interfere with the process and it will be “very unfair” to reschedule the test.
Hours before the exam was held, the 19-year-old son of a farm labourer was found dead in the state’s Salem district. On Monday evening, an 18-year-old female student from Ariyalur district is also believed to have killed herself over the fear of not clearing NEET.
Chief minister MK Stalin on Wednesday condoled the deaths and urged candidates to seek help from mental health experts on the state helpline: 104. “Life is priceless and your future is the country’s future,” Stalin said in a statement. He also blamed the central government, saying: “NEET shuts down opportunities for students. The Union government is stone hearted.”
The Opposition All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), however, pointed the blame towards the state government. “Students do not trust this government anymore,” former chief minister Edappadi Palaniswami said in a statement.
