A young medical aspirant in Madurai allegedly died by suicide on Saturday, fearing failure in the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) slated for Sunday.
The 19-year-old girl, M. Jothi Sri Durga, left behind a letter 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 left behind 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 the NEET.
Her body was taken to the Government Rajaji Hospital for a post-mortem examination. Later, it was cremated at the Corporation crematorium in Thathaneri.
DMK MLA P. Saravanan, who offered condolences to the bereaved 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 admission was illogical.
“None of 19,000 students who were offered free NEET coaching through 412 government-run coaching centres could clear the entrance last year. This reveals that the poor and rural students need special coaching to clear NEET and that comes at a huge cost,” he said. Till the education system is fortified in Tamil Nadu, NEET should be scrapped, he added.
Cadres of various political parties and student organisations staged demonstrations in Madurai against the conducting of NEET.
(Assistance for overcoming suicidal thoughts is available on the State’s health helpline 104 and Sneha’s suicide prevention helpline 044 – 24640050.)
