A 19-year-old medical aspirant died of alleged suicide here on Saturday, apparently 'apprehensive' over the National Entrance cum Eligibility Test (NEET), police said.
The victim, identified as Jothisri Durga, daughter of a police Sub-Inspector, was found hanging at her residence and a purported suicide note left behind by her said she was 'apprehensive' about NEET though others had high 'hopes' on her, they said.
The death, which comes days after another medical aspirant in Ariyalur in the state also allegedly committed suicide, drew sharp responses from Tamil Nadu political parties opposed to NEET, even as Chief Minister K Palaniswami and his deputy O Panneerselvam of the ruling AIADMK expressed shock over the incident.
DMK president M K Stalin said NEET “is not an exam at all.” Taking to Twitter, Palaniswami expressed grief over the “sad” incident and said students have many avenues to taste success and resorting to such extreme steps was distressing.
“It is distressing to see students, the hope for the future, taking such steps,” he said. Condoling the girl's death, he expressed his sympathies with the family.
In a tweet, Panneerselvam expressed grief over such incidents concerning the students, who are the “pillars of the future.”
“Students should learn to face any situation with guts and parents should aid them in this,” the deputy CM, also the AIADMK Coordinator, said.
State Revenue Minister R B Udhayakumar visited the family and consoled them.
Stalin, Leader of the Opposition in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, expressed shock over the alleged suicide, but said killing oneself was not the solution.
“We can realise from the death of Anitha (a medical aspirant who died of suicide in 2017) to Jothisri Durga that NEET is severely affecting students,” he said in a tweet.