Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday launched an attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi after an alleged suicide by a NEET aspirant came to light, saying an entire generation of young Indians was paying the price for the government's failure to safeguard the country's education system.
Rahul Gandhi's remarks came after media reports said Akanksha Chaturvedi, a NEET aspirant from Madhya Pradesh's Mauganj district, allegedly died by suicide in Nagpur after reportedly falling into depression following reports of irregularities in the NEET-UG examination.
"Akanksha aspired to become a doctor and serve her country and society. Akanksha's father is a farmer. To support his daughter's dream of becoming a doctor, he took out a loan of Rs 3 lakh against his Kisan Credit Card. He even took up a job as a cook in Nagpur himself, so that his daughter could attend coaching classes there," Rahul said in a post on X.
"A father did everything humanly possible. Then, the NEET paper leaked. The examination was cancelled. Amidst that uncertainty, Akanksha left us forever," he said.
Calling the death "the tragic outcome of a corrupt and broken system", Gandhi alleged that no meaningful accountability or reform had followed the examination controversy.
"And Mr Dharmendra Pradhan? He remains firmly seated in his position even today. The same old committees. The same old transfers. The same old inquiries. No reform; no justice," the Leader of Opposition said.
"Mr Modi, power is not permanent -- it comes and goes. But an entire generation of India's youth is now paying the price for the extent to which you have ruined the education system over the past 12 years," Rahul Gandhi added.
The NEET (UG) 2026 examination, conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA) on May 3, was cancelled on May 12 following allegations of a paper leak. The matter is currently being investigated by the CBI, while a re-examination has been scheduled for June 21.
Fifth reported NEET suicide
Akanksha's death is the fifth reported NEET-linked student suicide since the paper leak controversy erupted.
According to media reports, Akanksha had been preparing for a medical career with the support of her father, a farmer, who reportedly took a Rs 3 lakh loan and worked as a cook in Nagpur to fund her coaching.
Among the earlier reported cases is Pradeep Meghwal, a 22-year-old aspirant from Rajasthan's Jhunjhunu district, who had been preparing for NEET in the coaching hub of Sikar. Family members said that he expected to score around 650 marks and was deeply upset after the examination was cancelled.
Another case is that of Ritik (or Hrithik) Mishra from Uttar Pradesh. Mishra had allegedly attempted the examination multiple times and was hopeful about his prospects this year before the cancellation triggered uncertainty over the admission process.
The Congress has also highlighted the deaths of a 17-year-old aspirant from Bengaluru who was residing in Goa and a young woman from Delhi's Adarsh Nagar, both of whom reportedly died by suicide after the NEET-UG examination was scrapped amid allegations of a paper leak. Their identities have not been widely disclosed in mainstream media reports.
Two weeks ago, the Karnataka Congress had highlighted four such deaths on social media, saying NEET aspirants were dying by suicide amid the uncertainty triggered by the alleged leak and subsequent cancellation of the examination.
The party listed a student from Rajasthan's Jhunjhunu district, Hrithik Mishra from Uttar Pradesh, a 17-year-old aspirant from Bengaluru who was residing in Goa, and a young girl from Delhi among the victims.
"Behind every headline is a family shattered forever. Parents who sacrificed everything for their children's education are now left carrying unbearable grief," the Congress had said in a post on X , calling the crisis "a collapse of trust in India's education system".
An analysis of media reports by India Today found at least 93 reported NEET-linked student suicides across India over the past five years. The number reportedly peaked in 2025, with at least 32 such deaths. In 2026 alone, at least 14 cases have already been documented so far.