NEET counselling setback: 18-year-old aspirant dies by suicide in Prayagraj

An 18-year-old NEET aspirant died by suicide on Monday evening in the Trivenipuram locality of Jhunsi in Prayagraj. The incident occurred after her name reportedly did not appear in the final list of candidates selected through NEET counselling, according to police.

The aspirant allegedly shot herself with her father’s licensed pistol inside her room. Her father is a retired engineer with the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), and the family had expressed high hopes for her medical career.

Investigation into the Prayagraj Incident

Family members disclosed to the police that the girl had been under mental stress for some time. They heard a gunshot from her room, which she had bolted from inside, and then alerted the authorities. A police team from Jhunsi police station arrived at the residence, followed by a forensic team to examine the scene and collect evidence.

Investigators confirmed that the room had been locked from inside. A licensed pistol was recovered from the spot and has been sent for ballistic and forensic examination. Preliminary evidence indicates the shot was fired at point-blank range. DCP City Sagar Jain told TOI that prima facie the case appears to be a suicide, though all possible angles are being examined, and the investigation is ongoing. The family, originally from Ghazipur, had shifted to Prayagraj approximately six years ago.

Broader Context of NEET Aspirant Suicides

This incident in Prayagraj is one of several reported suicides by NEET aspirants in recent years, often linked to exam pressure, counselling outcomes, or exam-related controversies. On Saturday, Dharshini, a girl student preparing for NEET, died by suicide in Kilambakkam due to fear of the exam, which was scheduled for May 4. Dharshini had been preparing for the NEET exam since 2021.

Earlier, on March 1, a 19-year-old student named Indhu from Tindivanam died by suicide, reportedly due to fear of underperforming in NEET. Indhu had completed her 12th grade with good marks and undergone coaching in Puducherry, scoring 350 marks in the NEET exam last year but failing to clear it. She had recently obtained and submitted her OBC certificate with her application. In October 2024, S. Punitha, a 19-year-old from Keelmugam village, also died by suicide after failing to secure a medical seat despite two years of NEET coaching and attending counselling for paramedical courses without obtaining a government quota seat.

Impact of Exam Cancellations and Policy Debates

The cancellation of the NEET-UG exams has also been cited as a factor in student distress. Akanksha Chaturvedi, a NEET aspirant from Madhya Pradesh’s Mauganj district, died by suicide after the cancellation of the NEET-UG exams. She left a note stating she did not have the courage to appear for the test again, and expressed concerns about her performance if she were to re-appear. Akanksha was among lakhs of students who appeared for the NEET-UG exams conducted on May 3, which the National Testing Agency (NTA) cancelled on May 12 due to allegations of a paper leak. The NTA subsequently announced a re-test for NEET-UG on June 21. Akanksha’s family claimed she was expecting a score of around 650 marks and had taken a loan of Rs 3 lakh through a Kisan Credit Card to fund her coaching in Nagpur, where her father worked as a cook. Additionally, a 16-year-old aspirant in Jharkhand died by suicide, with her family attributing it to severe depression caused by the NEET controversy.

The Tamil Nadu government has consistently opposed NEET, arguing its structure is unfair to economically disadvantaged and Tamil-medium students. In June 2024, the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly passed a unanimous resolution against NEET, following controversies over leaked NEET-UG 2024 question papers and the postponement of NEET-PG 2024.

Further reading

• Maharashtra NEET UG 2026: 138 MBBS, BDS seats vacant; no institutional round admissions
• NMC to examine Andhra Pradesh request for MBBS admission deadline extension, NEET percentile reduction
• NEET cutoff: previous closing ranks and marks Next step
• KEAM 2027: Apply online for engineering seats starting January
• CENTAC NEET MDS 2026 Round 3 registration deadline extended; apply under revised cut-off
• KEAM 2026: Apply for 84 MBBS, 106 BDS stray seats. CEE to announce dates Applications open

Written by Nishit Kumar

Nishit Kumar is a senior EdTech industry leader with over a decade of experience in building and scaling education platforms, shaping their product, content, and growth strategy. At FindMyCollege, Nishit oversees content and editorial strategy, guiding topic selection and content frameworks to ensure accuracy, relevance, and student-first value across the website.

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