A day after an 18-year-old girl ended her life in Villupuram over her inability to clear the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET), a 17-year-old girl from Uthamarkoil, on the outskirts of Tiruchi, committed suicide on Wednesday night, after she failed the test.
The deceased Subashree scored only 24 marks out of 720 in the test and was seen depressed for the past two days. She had scored 907 in Plus II under the State board syllabus, the police said.
Subashree was found hanging from a ceiling fan in her room on Wednesday night. Her mother Selvi, with the help of neighbours, broke open the door and rushed her to a private hospital in the city, where she was declared brought dead.
Subashree’s friends said she desired to become a medical professional and had attended a crash course on NEET for two months at a private coaching institute. She wrote the test in English.
“No parent should experience this suffering. She was a bright student. We never thought that she will end her life. NEET has not only claimed her life but also shattered ours,” said an inconsolable Kannan, Subashree’s father.
Employed as a driver with the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation, he is also the president of Anna Thozhir Sangam, a trade union affiliated to the AIADMK, of the TNSTC Cantonment branch in Tiruchi.
Stating that students across the State had been subjected to enormous pressure on account of NEET, Mr. Kannan called upon the State government to find a way out of the entrance test.
Subashree’s body was handed over to her parents after a post-mortem examination. It was then taken in a procession to Oyamari electric crematorium where the last rites were performed. A large number of friends, relatives, trade union members and members of various political parties including the AIADMK were present.
Several political party leaders issued statements condoling the death of Subashree but said that suicide was not a solution for failure.
( Assistance for overcoming suicidal thoughts is available on the State’s health helpline 104 and Sneha’s suicide prevention helpline 044-24640050. )
