In Ahilyanagar, Maharashtra, 19-year-old NEET aspirant Ankita Sangle committed suicide due to the stress of getting low marks (166) in the re-exam. Police have registered the case and started investigation.
A sad news has come out from Ahilyanagar district of Maharashtra. Here a 19-year-old medical aspirant allegedly committed suicide due to stress related to the NEET-UG re-exam results. Police and family have given this information. The deceased has been identified as Ankita Suresh Sangle, resident of Jalalpur village in Karjat taluka. Police said that she was found hanging at her house on Saturday afternoon. No other family member was present at home at that time. Karjat Police has registered a case of accidental death and started investigation into the cause of death.
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Ankita wanted to become a doctor
According to Ankita’s family, her dream was to become a doctor and she was preparing for NEET-UG for this purpose. His father Suresh Sangle said that he had worked very hard for the medical entrance exam and had also performed well in the first test held in May. But, after allegations of rigging in the preliminary examination, the examination was conducted again on June 21. The family told that Ankita got 166 marks in the re-exam. Her father claims that she missed the cut-off by just 11 marks and was under immense pressure ever since the results came out.
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He said that after the controversy regarding the examination and uncertainty about her future, his daughter’s worries were increasing continuously.
Family called NEET controversy a reason for tension
Ankita’s family says that she was not just under pressure of numbers. He believes that the controversy regarding NEET exam had also increased his anxiety. National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) is one of the toughest competitive exams in India. Every year lakhs of students appear for the limited number of medical seats. For students who prepare for this test for years, the result has a big impact on their education plans. Ankita’s family said that she had sacrificed a lot to prepare for the exam and was very sad after the re-exam results. Police said that a suicide note has also been recovered from the spot. In this note, Ankita has reportedly asked her family not to blame themselves. Besides, he has also expressed regret for not being able to fulfill his dream of becoming a doctor. Police are investigating the contents of this note.
Death occurred amid ongoing controversy over NEET
Ankita’s death has come at a time when there is a big controversy going on across the country regarding the NEET-UG exam and the allegations of rigging in it. Following the controversy surrounding the original exam, the authorities had conducted re-examination on June 21 for the affected candidates. Students, parents and many organizations have also protested regarding this issue and demanded accountability. The Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), which protested at New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, had also demanded compensation for the families of NEET aspirants who allegedly committed suicide amid the exam controversy. Union Minister JP Nadda has said that the Central Government has agreed to provide appropriate compensation to the families of students who commit suicide.
Family of another NEET candidate is demanding justice
The incident comes days after the parents of another NEET aspirant Akanksha Chaturvedi again raised their demand for justice and compensation. Akanksha had also allegedly committed suicide. Speaking to ANI on July 25, Akanksha’s mother Neelam Chaturvedi had said that the family was not satisfied with the resignation of then Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and they wanted compensation for their daughter’s death. He also demanded strict action against those responsible for the paper leak and questioned the government’s handling of the matter. Akanksha’s father Krishna Kumar Chaturvedi said that his daughter wanted to serve the country by becoming a doctor. The family said they faced financial hardships for his education and now they want justice for him.
Education Minister’s resignation amid NEET controversy
These developments took place on the same day when Dharmendra Pradhan resigned from the post of Union Education Minister following continuous criticism over the NEET controversy. Pradhan submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said he was stepping down in the larger interest of the students. He said the country’s youth should not be left “trapped in the web of confusion”. His resignation was one of a series of developments following weeks of protests and public anger over the exams controversy. The major demands raised during the protests included compensation for the families of students who allegedly committed suicide.
Police investigation continues
In Ankita’s case, the police are investigating the circumstances that led to her death. A case of accidental death has been registered and the suicide note recovered from the house is expected to be a part of the investigation. Her death has once again drawn attention to the immense pressure placed on students who prepare for such high-stakes competitive exams. However, this is a personal tragedy for Ankita’s family. She said that a young girl, who worked hard for years to become a doctor, was devastated after the examination process and its uncertain results.
Police investigation will reveal the exact cause of his death. Meanwhile, her case has fueled growing calls for greater attention to the mental and emotional pressure on students trapped in India’s highly competitive medical admissions system.
(Suicide is not a solution to any problem. Seek help from mental health experts. If you ever have such thoughts, please call ‘Disha’ helpline. Toll-free helpline number: 1056, 0471-2552056)