'Don't Have Courage To Take Exam Again': NEET Aspirant's Suicide Note Surfaces

A suicide note allegedly written by a NEET 2026 aspirant from Madhya Pradesh who died by suicide last month has surfaced, revealing her disappointment and fear of appearing for the medical entrance examination again.

Akanksha Chaturvedi, a resident of Magania village in Mauganj district, died by suicide in Nagpur on May 20.

In the note, Akanksha expressed regret at being unable to fulfil her parents’ dream of seeing her become a doctor. She wrote that she had expected to score well in her first attempt but no longer felt confident about performing better if she appeared for the exam again, as per a report in Bhaskar English.

“Mom-Dad, you trusted that your daughter would study and become a doctor, but now I don’t have the courage to take the NEET

exam again,” she wrote, while apologising to her parents.

The case has also highlighted the financial burden borne by the family for her preparation. According to family members, they had taken a loan of Rs 3 lakh under the Kisan Credit Card (KCC) scheme and also borrowed money from relatives to fund her coaching and NEET preparation.

Akanksha’s death has once again brought into focus the immense pressure faced by medical aspirants, many of whom have been grappling with uncertainty following the cancellation of the examination and the prospect of appearing for the test again.

At least 3 to 4 NEET-UG 2026 aspirants died by suicide after the paper leak and subsequent cancellation of the exam held on May 3, 2026.

NEET UG 2026 Paper Leak

The National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (Undergraduate), conducted on May 3, was cancelled following allegations of irregularities in the examination process. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is investigating the matter and has made multiple arrests, while student protests have intensified in several parts of the country.

The National Testing Agency (NTA) has scheduled the NEET-UG re-examination for June 21, 2026. The test will be conducted at more than 5,400 examination centres across 550 cities nationwide.

Top officials of the National Testing Agency (NTA) recently informed a parliamentary standing committee that the agency’s immediate priority is to conduct the NEET-UG re-examination on June 21 in the traditional pen-and-paper format.

However, the officials indicated that a transition to Computer-Based Testing (CBT) is likely from 2027 onwards as part of efforts to strengthen examination security and minimise the risk of malpractice.

The proposed shift follows recommendations made by a high-level expert committee constituted in the wake of concerns over the conduct of national entrance examinations. The panel had suggested adopting the CBT format to enhance transparency, improve monitoring, and make examinations more secure.

Suicide Prevention: If you or someone you know needs help, call any of these helplines: Aasra (Mumbai) 022-27546669, Sneha (Chennai) 044-24640050, Sumaitri (Delhi) 011-23389090, Cooj (Goa) 0832- 2252525, Jeevan (Jamshedpur) 065-76453841, Pratheeksha (Kochi) 048-42448830, Maithri (Kochi) 0484-2540530, Roshni (Hyderabad) 040-66202000, Lifeline 033-64643267 (Kolkata)