NEET aspirant in Tamil Nadu commits suicide hours before exam

A 20-year-old student from Salem district of Tamil Nadu committed suicide for fear of not being able to clear the NEET medical entrance exam, having failing it twice earlier.

Dhanush, a student from Koolaiyur village in Salem, was depressed after failing two times, according to his family, and had worked hard for the third time, to be taken on Sunday but he did not turn up.

According to reports, his body was found early on Sunday. Karumalaikudal police registered a case and are investigating. The boy’s body has been handed over to the family after post mortem at the Mettur government hospital.

Dhanush was the younger son of Sivakumar and Revathi, and belonged to a Most Backward Caste (MBC) community. Sivakumar (52) works as an operator at a private firm in Mettur. Dhanush’s elder brother, Nishnath, is doing an Engineering course.

“On Saturday night, Dhanush was seen studying for the exam till late at night. However, after everyone at home went to sleep, he took his own life around midnight. Dhanush’s mother Revathi, who woke up at 4 am on Sunday, found him dead in his room,” Dhanush’s uncle Vaitheeswaran told media, appealing to the government to repeal the NEET exam.

Also read: Tamil Nadu set to scrap NEET with fresh law

Mettur MLA S Sadhasivam urged parents to not pressure their children to take competitive exams like NEET. “Due to NEET, we have been continuously losing our children. First, parents should not force the children to write the exam if the students do not wish to. Also, if the child did not clear the second time, parents should motivate them to try another course,” he said, according to a report in The News Minute.

Sadhasivam assured that he will speak to Chief Minister MK Stalin on the matter.

Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma Subramanian, had on Saturday said that the state government would pass a resolution against the NEET exam on Monday.

(Please reach out to a mental health specialist if you need support or know someone who does. Helplines: AASRA: +91 98204 66726; SAHAI: 080 25497777)