Student Preparing For NEET Re-exam Dies By Suicide in Coimbatore; CPI(M) Hits Out At Centre
C. Padmanabhan, District Secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has urged the Centre to immediately cancel the NEET exam. Reports S Srinivasan
Published : June 17, 2026 at 7:10 PM IST
Coimbatore: A 19-year-old student, who was preparing for the NEET re-exam, died by suicide on Wednesday in Coimbatore. The deceased has been identified as Anu Keerthana. She was the daughter of Senthil Prabhu, a resident of the Coimbatoor area in Coimbatore district and the General Secretary of the CITU TASMAC Employees' Union. Anu was preparing for the NEET entrance exam for medical studies.
Although she had previously secured a seat for the BDS course after taking the NEET exam once, Anu had appeared for the exam again. However, following allegations of a question paper leak, that exam was cancelled, and a re-examination was announced by the National Testing Agency (NTA).
The NEET re-exam is scheduled for June 21. While preparing for this exam, Anu Keerthana sent a WhatsApp message to her paternal uncle around 2:00 AM, stating that she had been unable to prepare to the extent she had hoped and was suffering from constant mental stress.
Subsequently, she attempted to take the fatal step at home. Upon seeing the WhatsApp message, her uncle alerted the family, rushed to the house, rescued Anu Keerthana, and admitted her to a private hospital near Ganapathy, Coimbatore, for treatment. Despite receiving continuous medical care, Anu Keerthana passed away.
Her body was sent to the Coimbatore ESI Hospital for a post-mortem examination. Based on a complaint filed by the student's father, Senthil Prabhu, the Kuniyamuthur police have registered a case and are conducting an investigation.
Commenting on the incident, C. Padmanabhan, the District Secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), said, "Anu Keerthana, the daughter of Senthil Prabhu, a TASMAC employee and member of our party family, had been preparing intensively for the NEET exam. Unexpectedly, the Centre cancelled the NEET exam citing a question paper leak as the reason. Distressed by this, the student took the extreme step".
"Students across India have been subjected to severe mental anguish due to the cancellation of the NEET exam, which was taken by 21 lakh students. The NEET exam has turned into a channel for private entities to engage in massive profiteering, involving a turnover of ₹60,000 crore. The Centre must immediately scrap the NEET exam to prevent further loss of life," Padmanabhan said.
Condemning the student's suicide caused by the stress surrounding the NEET exam, TASMAC employees and members of the CPI (Marxist) staged a protest in front of the Coimbatore ESI Hospital.
CPI(M) Condemns Central Government: P. Shanmugam, the State Secretary of the CPI (Marxist), has condemned the Centre over this incident. In a post on X, he stated, "How many more lives must we lose because the Union Government, having imposed the NEET exam on Tamil Nadu, has failed to prevent irregularities in entrance exams and jeopardised the future of students?"
Suicide Is Not A Solution:If you are having suicidal thoughts, or you are worried about a friend, or you need emotional support, then there is someone who is always there to listen to you. Call the Sneha Foundation - 04424640050 (available 24x7) or iCall, the Tata Institute of Social Sciences helpline at 9152987821 (available Monday to Saturday from 8 am to 10 pm).
"We earnestly appeal to students not to take such tragic decisions," added P. Shanmugam.
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