More than 22,000 candidates were affected by the cancellation of the medical entrance exam. Three of the aspirants allegedly died by suicide.
Three students allegedly died by suicide after the National Testing Agency (NTA) canceled their exam NEET-UG 2026 screening after paper leaked earlier this week. More than 22,000 students were affected by the cancellation, many of whom had spent years preparing for one of the country’s toughest competitive exams held on May 3. The retest is now scheduled for June 21.
For some hopefuls, families say, the sudden cancellation and the stress that came with it became emotionally devastating.
A student from Rajasthan was found dead in a rented room
In Rajasthan, Sikar is allegedly a NEET student He died by suicide on Friday. The student had been living in a rented room in Jaldhari Nagar area of the city with his two sisters while preparing for NEET for the past three years, police said.
He allegedly hanged himself using his sister’s scarf while one of his sisters was attending exercise classes and another was in the bathroom, according to officials. His older sister later found him hanged and informed the landlord and the police.
The student was a resident of Kanika Ki Dhani village in Godha Godji area of Jhunjhunu district. His father told police that his son’s examination went well and that the family expected him to score around 650 marks in NEET-UG 2026.
Former Deputy Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Sachin Pilot, expressed grief over the incident and said that frequent leakage of papers and cancellation of exams is affecting the mental health of students.
“The cancellation left him emotionally devastated.”
21 years old The NEET student allegedly died by suicide at his home in Lakhimpur Kheri in Uttar Pradesh. This was his third attempt at NEET, and according to his family, he was very confident of clearing the exam this time.
Although the police said that no suicide note was found, family members linked his death to stress caused by the cancellation of the exam.
His father said that the student returned from the village shortly before the accident and was very upset. “He was under immense mental pressure after the NEET exams were canceled following reports of paper leakage,” he told reporters.
“This was his third attempt, and he was very confident of passing the test this time. The cancellation left him emotionally devastated.”
Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav claimed that the student had fallen into depression and distress after the exam was cancelled, according to PTI.
Later, a delegation of Socialist Party leaders met the family at their residence in Darura and submitted a memorandum to the district judge demanding $Rs 2 crore as ex-gratia compensation to the family. She also requested the memo $50,000 as transfer compensation for each NEET aspirant who appears for re-examination and demanded removal of ministers heading NEET-UG 2026 related departments.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also reacted strongly. “No more competitive exams now.” These were the last words of a 21-year-old from Lakhimpur Kheri. This child, who appeared in the NEET exam for the third time, collapsed the moment the test was cancelled,” Gandhi wrote on X.
“In Goa also, a NEET aspirant committed suicide. These children did not lose in exams – they were killed by a corrupt regime. This is not suicide – it is murder by the regime,” he added.
The Delhi aspirant was hoping to clear the clearing exam
In Delhi’s Azadpur area, a 20-year-old woman, too The NEET student allegedly died by suicide at her residence in Adarsh Nagar. Police said no suicide note was found, but her family believes she was upset after the NEET-UG exam was cancelled.
According to her twin sister, the young woman has been preparing for medical entrance exams since she completed Class 12 and appeared for NEET several times.
“She wanted to become a doctor,” her sister told HT. “In her previous attempt, she was just under four marks. This time, when she took the exam on May 3, she was very optimistic about passing the exam.”
Her younger brother also said that she felt upset after hearing the news of the cancellation.
Federal Minister of Education Announcing that the NEET-UG re-examination will now be held on June 21, Dharmendra Pradhan said the government has a “zero tolerance” policy towards violations.
If you or someone you know is experiencing emotional distress or suicidal thoughts, help is available and support can make a difference. Please consider reaching out to a mental health professional or calling the Suicide Prevention Helpline. Helplines: Al-Asra: 02227546669; 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
(With inputs from Hizb ut Tahrir and PTI correspondents)
Anita Goswami is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times, where she primarily covers Indian and international news. With four years of experience in the field, she has led coverage of Indian general elections, Assembly elections, and national polls in the US, Canada, Bangladesh and Nepal. Its reports cover world wars and major events, including Operation Sindoor, the overthrow of Sheikh Hasina, and the Mahakumbh Mela. It verifies the facts and uses clear sources to ensure the accuracy of the reports. As a former Editor-in-Chief at Storytailors, she has managed teams to produce high-quality content for networks such as NDTV, Profit, CNBC-TV18, Upstox and News18. Her work has appeared on NDTV, Meaww and Global Pulse. Throughout her tenure, Anita has collaborated with and received mentoring from leading industry experts. When she’s not reading, Anita can be found outside or at a bakery. Areas of interest: Indian political history, international elections, historical policy analysis, global conflicts, cultural events, Formula 1, art, media ethics, reporting on social and political change over time.Read more
