For many parents, who lost their children to suicide after the National Eligibility Paper for University Entrance Test (NEET-UG) 2026 was cancelled, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation is not enough.
Most of the parents said that the government never understood the pain of the students who appeared for NEET and their parents. They also expressed their suffering over the police attacking students in New Delhi and that Pradhan was not forced to resign until after pressure from the students.
They called for structural changes in education so that no papers are canceled in the future due to leakage or any other error in examinations.
The father of a 21-year-old student from Kheri district in Uttar Pradesh, who died by suicide in May, praised the students’ peaceful protest despite the “brutal” police attack on them, and demanded educational reforms to prevent something similar from happening in the future.
Read also:‘Show them my son’: Deepaki shares video of aspiring NEET father who died by suicide, attacks Pradhan
His son appeared for NEET for the third time. On Saturday, he accompanied his wife to Lucknow Hospital, who was suffering from shock after the death of their son.
“CCompensation cannot bring my son back.”
“Any compensation cannot bring my son back to life,” he said. “The void cannot be filled. I hope the protest will prevent such tragedies in the future.” He added that if Pradhan had resigned soon after the protest began, the violence at Jantar Mandhar could have been avoided.
The mother of the 18-year-old NEET student, who died by suicide in Nagpur on May 20, said those responsible for her death should be punished. She said: “Resignation is a good thing, but I would like to thank the children who fought for my child and faced police bullets and batons. I want those responsible for leaking papers and assaulting students to be punished severely.”
“Justice was achieved today”
Her father said: “Justice was achieved today. Resigning will not bring my daughter back, but it will at least give peace to her soul.” Regarding compensation, he said: “After her death, my relatives helped me pay off the debt I took in exchange for her education, and if I receive compensation, I will use it to pay the remaining dues.” His wife participated in the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protest in Nagpur.
“Governments should understand this pain that students go through while preparing for competitive exams and take strict action to prevent such incidents,” said the father of a NEET student from Kotputli-Behror district in Rajasthan.
He added that the government was not ready to accept their mistake after the death of so many children. “They agreed only after a large number of students protested, confronted the police and refused to leave Jantar Mantar. Pradhan did not resign on his own. He was under pressure from these children,” he said, adding that compensation could not bring his daughter back.
“I hope the government is serious about reforms in the examination system which should be completely transparent and fair.”
The mother of the 23-year-old NEET student from Dehradun said Pradhan’s resignation showed that the government had accepted its mistake, albeit belatedly.
“My daughter died through no fault of hers. She was suffering from severe depression because it was her last chance. The government cannot understand her nor our pain. Compensation cannot bring her back, but structural reforms can prevent such tragedies in the future,” she said, holding the central government directly responsible for the death of NEET aspirants after the examinations were cancelled.
Read also:NEET student dies by suicide in Dehradun; Parents say ‘college overachievers’ showed no signs of depression
In Berhampur town, the mother of a 20-year-old NEET student who died by suicide last week after failing to clear the Re-NEET exam, said Pradhan’s resignation means nothing to her. “It was our only source of strength. How would it matter to us if Pradhan quits? But as a mother, I would say that only bright students should make it to NEET, not those who make it through unfair means,” she said.
The 19-year-old brother of the deceased NEET student, who died by suicide in Uttar Pradesh’s Maharajganj district, said the CJP protest helped people understand the pain of NEET aspirants as his sister’s suicide note saying “she will not be able to bear it anymore” went viral during the protest. “Today, I can sleep because I feel like my sister got some justice,” he said. Her younger sister died by suicide after appearing for NEET re-examination.
Discussing suicides can be triggering for some. However, suicides can be prevented. If you need support or know someone who does, please contact your nearest mental health professional.
Helplines: Al-Asra: 022 2754 6669; Sneha Foundation India: +914424640050 and Sanjivini: 011-24311918, Roshni Foundation (Secunderabad) Contact Numbers: 040-66202001, 040-66202000; One Life: Contact Number: 78930 78930, Seva: Contact Number: 09441778290
