3 deaths in 4 days: NEET aspirants’ suicides in Tamil Nadu trigger louder calls for state to be exempted

4 min readChennaiUpdated: Jun 22, 2026 02:25 PM IST

Three NEET aspirants in Tamil Nadu died by suicide in the four days preceding the June 21 re-examination, triggering renewed criticism of the medical entrance test and fresh calls for the state to be exempted from NEET. (File Photo)

Top state government officials and police have confirmed the suicides of three NEET aspirants in Tamil Nadu over the four days before the June 21 re-examination, deepening political anger in the state over the national medical entrance test.

The deaths were reported from Salem, Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri districts. Police have identified three of the students as S Gopika, 19, of Vellalapuram near Edappadi in Salem district; R Roshini, 19, of Endapatti near Palacode in Dharmapuri district; and C Vetri Anandan, also reported as Vetriyanantham, 20, of Bagalur Road near Hosur in Krishnagiri district.

The Indian Express has previously reported that at least 12 NEET aspirants had died by suicide in different parts of the country since May 3. The NEET exam was originally held on May 3, but it was subsequently cancelled following allegations of a question paper leak. The re-test was held on Sunday, June 21.

Rising stress ahead of re-test

Gopika, who completed school in 2024, had been preparing for NEET for two years. Relatives said her father worked in a salon as a daily wage worker, and her mother was a homemaker. They said the family could not afford coaching classes and that Gopika had been preparing on her own. She had appeared for NEET three times, including on May 3, and was preparing for Sunday’s re-examination.

According to a senior police officer, she had earlier told her father that she was under severe stress because of the growing difficulty of preparing for the exam, and that the announcement of the re-test had increased her anxiety. On Friday afternoon, after her parents had gone to work and her elder sister was out of town, she was found unconscious after a suspected suicide attempt. She was taken to a hospital in Edappadi and later referred to Salem Government Hospital, where doctors declared her dead on arrival. Konganapuram police have registered a case.

In Dharmapuri, Roshini, who completed class 12 in 2025, had studied at a NEET coaching centre in Namakkal before returning home two months ago to continue preparations. She had been allotted an exam centre in Dharmapuri for the June 21 test. Police said her father, Ramakrishnan, returned home on Saturday evening and found her dead. The body was sent to Dharmapuri Medical College Hospital for postmortem. Palacode police said they were investigating the case and had not yet confirmed whether exam pressure was a factor.

In Krishnagiri, Vetri Anandan completed class 12 in 2023 and studied at a NEET coaching centre in Namakkal for two years. He had been preparing from home after failing to clear the exam in earlier attempts and had appeared again on May 3. Police sources said he believed he had done well but became frustrated after the exam was cancelled and he had to prepare again.

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On Saturday afternoon, while his mother had stepped out to a shop, he died by suicide at home. Hudco police sent the body to Hosur Government Hospital for postmortem. Police recovered a note in which he said he had been unable to sleep properly for a month because of fear over NEET and feared failing again. He also wrote that no one was responsible for his decision and apologised to his parents and brother.

In Coonoor in the Nilgiris, an 18-year-old girl who had trained at a private coaching centre in Salem attempted suicide on Sunday morning before leaving for the NEET exam. She was admitted to a private hospital and was under intensive treatment.

Political reaction

The deaths have triggered sharp criticism from political parties in Tamil Nadu. The DMK students’ wing said it would hold a protest on Tuesday, accusing the BJP government at the Centre of being responsible for the continuing distress around NEET. PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss said the deaths showed that NEET should either be abolished across India or, at least, Tamil Nadu should be exempted. VCK chief Thol Thirumavalavan urged the Tamil Nadu government to take legal steps to secure an exemption for the state.

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Arun Janardhanan is an experienced and authoritative Tamil Nadu correspondent for The Indian Express. Based in the state, his reporting combines ground-level access with long-form clarity, offering readers a nuanced understanding of South India’s political, judicial, and cultural life - work that reflects both depth of expertise and sustained authority.

Expertise

Geographic Focus: As Tamil Nadu Correspondent focused on politics, crime, faith and disputes, Janardhanan has been also reporting extensively on Sri Lanka, producing a decade-long body of work on its elections, governance, and the aftermath of the Easter Sunday bombings through detailed stories and interviews.

Key Coverage Areas:

State Politics and Governance: Close reporting on the DMK and AIADMK, the emergence of new political actors such as actor Vijay’s TVK, internal party churn, Centre–State tensions, and the role of the Governor.

Legal and Judicial Affairs: Consistent coverage of the Madras High Court, including religion-linked disputes and cases involving state authority and civil liberties.

Investigations: Deep-dive series on landmark cases and unresolved questions, including the Tirupati encounter and the Rajiv Gandhi assassination, alongside multiple investigative series from Tamil Nadu.

Culture, Society, and Crisis: Reporting on cultural organisations, language debates, and disaster coverage—from cyclones to prolonged monsoon emergencies—anchored in on-the-ground detail.

His reporting has been recognised with the Ramnath Goenka Award for Excellence in Journalism.

Beyond journalism, Janardhanan is also a screenwriter; his Malayalam feature film Aarkkariyam was released in 2021. ... Read More

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