The growing pressure surrounding India's medical entrance examinations has once again come under scrutiny after a 19-year-old NEET aspirant was found dead at her residence in Uttar Pradesh's Maharajganj, just a day after appearing for the NEET-UG 2026 re-examination.
Police said a note written on her question paper was recovered during the investigation. In the message addressed to her brother, she reportedly wrote that she was "not capable of anything".
Authorities have launched a detailed investigation, while family members say she had been upset after evaluating her performance in the examination.
Family says there was no external pressure
Hindustan Times noted that the teenager had dreamt of becoming a doctor and was inspired by her elder brother, who successfully cleared NEET in 2021.
According to family members, she returned home after taking the examination and appeared worried about her performance.
Her brother said there was no academic pressure from the family and that everyone supported her ambitions.
He also highlighted the sacrifices made by their father, a farmer, who worked hard to educate all three of his children.
The family discovered her hanging inside their house and immediately rushed her to a district hospital, where doctors declared her dead.
Police have sent the body for post-mortem examination.
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Police investigating all angles
According to the Hindustan Times, police officer Nirbhay Kumar Singh said investigators have seized the question paper and the handwritten note for forensic examination and handwriting verification.
Officials suspect examination-related stress may have played a role in the tragedy, though they stressed that all possibilities are being examined before concluding.
The investigation remains ongoing.
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Series of deaths raise concerns over exam pressure
According to the Hindustan Times, the incident comes amid heightened anxiety surrounding NEET-UG 2026, which had to be re-conducted after allegations of a question paper leak led authorities to cancel the original examination held on May 3.
The retest was conducted on June 21 for more than 22 lakh aspirants across the country under unprecedented security arrangements.
The Maharajganj tragedy is not an isolated case.
Last week, a 20-year-old NEET aspirant in Indore died after falling from a building ahead of the examination. Similar incidents were also reported in Uttarakhand and Rajasthan, where police suspect suicide linked to emotional distress and examination pressure.
The repeated tragedies have once again highlighted a larger issue surrounding India's intensely competitive entrance examination system, where academic expectations, uncertainty and mental stress continue to weigh heavily on students.
