Another NEET Aspirant Commits Suicide In Tamil Nadu

The looming fear of not clearing the National Eligibility Test (NET) has once again taken away the life of a young medical aspirant. The deceased Keerthivasan, son of farmer Kuppusamy, died by suicide near Pollachi in Tamil Nadu on October 29. After appearing for the exam on September 12, the 20-year-old allegedly took the extreme step over the fear of not securing a seat at the government college. The police meanwhile said that the entire event happened soon after the answer keys were released.

NEET Claims Another Life

Keethisavan, after completing his schooling in a private school at Pollachi, appeared for the NEET exams in 2019 and 2020 but had failed wrack up good marks. He appeared for the exam again in 2021 and hoped to get good marks, a police officer was quoted as saying by The New Indian Express. After the boy's suicide attempt, he was taken to the Pollachi government hospital for treatment, where he received first aid.

Keethisavan was then taken to Coimbatore government hospital, where he was declared brought dead. Currently, the hospital is conducting an autopsy and the Kinathukadavu police have also registered a case.

Fifth Case In A Month

This is the fifth suicide case in a month with four other NEET aspirants also taking their lives owing to the fear of not clearing the exam. On September 11, just a day before the examination, an aspirants by the name of Salem took away his life in fear of not clearing the test in his third attempt. Meanwhile, just a day after the exam, a 17-year-old Kanimozhi from Ariyalur district, also killed herself. Another NEET aspirant in T. Soundharya from the Vellore district also died by suicide later on September 15.

In the backdrop of reported suicides of many medical aspirants, who had either failed to crack the exam or had appeared for it, the state Assembly adopted a bill to override NEET after the A K Rajan committee had submitted its report.

The Justice A K Rajan committee said the qualifying exam would take the state back to pre-independence days and wanted the government to eliminate it at all levels by following the required legal and legislative procedures. Elimination of NEET "will ensure social justice and protect all vulnerable student communities from being discriminated in admission to medical education programmes," the panel was quoted as saying by The News Minute.

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