A 19-year-old boy from Tamil Nadu has died of suicide allegedly due to anxiety and stress over the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET).
Vignesh, a native of Sendurai in Tamil Nadu's Ariyalur district ended his life by jumping into a well. His body was fished out on Wednesday morning.
This year, he was trying to improve his score and get admission in a government medical college.?
Preliminary enquiries revealed that the boy was anxious for quite some time over the NEET exam slated to be held on September 13, a police officer said, adding "he was anxious about the score he could get this time round though he has passed the exam earlier."
"He had gone to sleep last night as usual. His family members found him missing from the home early this morning and his body was later found floating in a well in his village," an officer in the district police office said.
Asked if any suicide note was found, he said "no note has been found yet, however, enquiries indicate that this is a suicide."?
Earlier this month, a 17-year-old NEET aspirant had also died by suicide in Tamil Nadu's Pudukottai district after being unable to get her admit card to appear for the key entrance exams.
On Monday, the National Students' Union of India (NSUI) on filed a complaint with the Delhi Police against the Director General of the National Testing Agency (NTA) after the girl's suicide.
NSUI General Secretary Nagesh Kariyappa in his complaint said that the NSUI has been demanding postponement of NEET and JEE in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak in the country.
In August, another 19-year-old girl from Chennai, who was preparing for NEET had died by suicide.??
The girl was reportedly depressed and took the extreme step as she was scared of the exam.
Reacting to Vighnesh's death, DMK President M K Stalin, expressing grief over the NEET aspirant's suicide, said one more life has been lost over the national test.
"When the merciless Central government would stop the NEET.?How many more lives should we lose?" he asked and appealed to the student community to face life boldly and give up suicidal tendencies.
Tamil Nadu parties, including the ruling AIADMK, has been opposed to NEET on grounds that it went against social justice, the backward classes, and interests of rural students who could not afford coaching classes.