NEET Re-Test Pressure: Death of 19-year-old student in Hyderabad raises questions before NEET re-test. It was written in the suicide note – ‘No one is responsible’, but the mystery of exam pressure, mental stress and increasing suicides of students deepened.
Hyderabad NEET Student Death: Another heart-wrenching example of how the pressure of competitive examinations in the country is proving fatal for students has come to light from Hyderabad. Just a day before the re-test of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), a 19-year-old student embraced death. This incident has once again raised serious and scary questions about the country’s education system, the environment of coaching centers and the mental pressure being put on students. Another life going away silently among the books on the examination table is a big shock for the entire society.
That black night of Saturday: When breathing stopped in Miyapur’s apartment
This painful incident took place in Miyapur area of Hyderabad. According to the information received from the police, 19-year-old Sheikh Sana (19) was preparing for the biggest medical examination ‘NEET’ while living with her sisters in an apartment in Miyapur. Her re-exam was to be held on Sunday, for which she was studying day and night. On Saturday night, when her sisters were in the other room, there was such an eerie silence in this student’s room that no one had imagined. When the police received information on Sunday morning, they reached the spot and found out that the girl had ended her life by hanging herself in her room on Saturday night. His lifeless body was found hanging among the exam admit card and books.
Suspense of the last letter: ‘No one is responsible for my death…’
During investigation of the incident, Miyapur police recovered a suicide note from the deceased. This suicide note has further increased the suspense and sorrow in the case. In her last letter the girl did not accuse anyone. She wrote, “No one is responsible for my death.” Even though there is no name of any person in the letter, the investigating officers and psychologists clearly believe that the real culprit behind this death is the invisible “academic pressure” and “fear of failure” which was looming over his head as the NEET re-exam was to be held on Sunday. The police strongly suspect that the 19-year-old girl could not bear the immense mental stress of the re-test and took this suicidal step. Her father Sheikh Jafar Hussain works in Kuwait, while her mother had gone to Proddatur in Andhra Pradesh about 10 days ago. Sana’s sisters study in class 10th and 6th. Police said that the children are being taken care of by their aunt.
Countrywide ‘Death Trend’: Why are innocent lives getting trapped in the maze of exams?
This incident in Hyderabad is not an isolated example. In recent times, a very worrying and scary pattern of suicide has emerged among students preparing for NEET. Just a few days ago, a 22-year-old student in Ghaziabad and a 19-year-old student in Coimbatore also committed suicide just before the re-exam. At the same time, a 17-year-old student in Ahmedabad had embraced death due to mental depression arising after the cancellation of the examination. All these cases have one thing in common – the fear of failing in exams and the burden of society’s expectations. Every time the examination comes closer, the mental balance of the students starts wavering.
Anger over the system: rising demand for investigation and change
After this horrific suicide, there has been anger among students and parents in many parts of the country including Hyderabad. From Coimbatore to Hyderabad, protests have erupted demanding accountability of educational institutions and creating a strong mental health support system for students. Authorities are investigating the matter thoroughly, but the question remains: Has our education system become so insensitive that an examination has become more valuable than a child’s life? Unless the maze and pressure of these competitive examinations are reduced, it will be impossible to stop such suicidal steps.