A 19-year-old NEET aspirant, Ankita Sangle, allegedly died by suicide at her home in Jalalpur village of Karjat taluka in Maharashtra’s Ahilyanagar district on Saturday, with police saying a note recovered from the house suggested she was devastated by her performance in the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination.
According to Karjat Police, Ankita had scored 166 marks in the re-test, falling 11 marks short of her category cut-off of 177.
She had been preparing for the medical entrance examination through online coaching classes and was alone at home when the incident occurred, as her parents and elder brother had travelled to Pandharpur for Ashadhi Ekadashi.
Police have registered an accidental death case and are continuing their investigation. The incident has once again drawn attention to the emotional toll of high-stakes competitive examinations and the continuing fallout from the NEET-UG 2026 controversy.
Note Cites Disappointment
According to Karjat Police Station Inspector Hanuman Gaikwad, Ankita’s relatives became concerned after they were unable to contact her and went to check on the house at around 5.30 pm on Saturday. They allegedly found her hanging from a ceiling fan and alerted the authorities.
During the preliminary investigation, police recovered a handwritten note from the house. Inspector Gaikwad said the note indicated that Ankita had taken the extreme step because she was deeply disappointed with her performance in the NEET re-examination.
According to the officer, she apologised to her parents and elder brother, expressing regret for not being able to fulfil their expectations. The note also reportedly described her as “an average student” and reflected her disappointment over missing the qualifying mark.
Police said Ankita had secured 166 marks in the re-examination against a cut-off of 177, leaving her just 11 marks short. She had been preparing for the examination through online coaching while aspiring to pursue a medical degree.
Authorities have registered an accidental death case, and further investigation is underway to establish all the circumstances surrounding the incident.
NEET Controversy Continues
Ankita’s death comes weeks after other reported cases of alleged suicides linked to the NEET-UG 2026 examination cycle. On June 20, 21-year-old Yash Gosavi from Nashik’s Niphad taluka allegedly died by suicide a day before the NEET re-test.
According to his family, he had been confident of securing an MBBS seat before the paper leak controversy and the announcement of a nationwide re-examination left him distressed. His elder brother, Aniket Gosavi, later joined protests at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar demanding accountability over the examination irregularities.
In another reported case, 19-year-old Sheikh Sana allegedly died by suicide a day before the re-test after reportedly leaving behind a brief note reading, “I am sorry,” according to her family.
The NEET-UG 2026 examination, conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) on May 3 for more than 2.27 million candidates seeking admission to undergraduate medical and dental courses, was cancelled on May 12 after investigators uncovered a large-scale paper leak and multiple irregularities.
Authorities said substantial similarities were found between a leaked “guess paper” and the actual examination paper, prompting a nationwide investigation. Several people, including alleged NTA insiders, were arrested during the probe, and the examination was conducted again across the country on June 21.
The controversy has sparked widespread protests by students and parents, who have raised concerns about transparency, fairness and the uncertainty created by the re-examination process.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
Every student’s life is far more valuable than any examination result. While authorities continue to investigate this incident and pursue accountability in the NEET paper leak case, these repeated tragedies highlight the urgent need to address the intense psychological pressure surrounding competitive examinations. Educational success should never come at the cost of a young person’s mental well-being.
Alongside ensuring transparent and credible examination systems, governments, educational institutions, coaching centres and families must work together to build stronger mental health support networks.
Accessible counselling services, early emotional intervention and open conversations around failure and resilience are essential to helping students navigate setbacks without feeling isolated or hopeless. Success should be measured not only by marks but also by the ability to learn, recover and grow.
What steps do you think schools, coaching institutes, parents and policymakers should take to ensure that no student feels that an exam result defines their future?
