Thursday 04 / June / 2026
India: An 18-year-old NEET aspirant from Madhya Pradesh, Akanksha Chaturvedi, died by suicide in Nagpur after falling into depression over widespread paper leak controversies and exam irregularities. To fund her coaching, her father, a small farmer, had taken out a ₹3 lakh loan and worked as a cook. In a final note to her parents, Akanksha expressed her despair, writing that despite scoring well initially, she no longer had the courage to face the rescheduled test.
The tragedy has sparked sharp political backlash. Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, launched a fierce attack against the central government on X, stating that Akanksha's death was the tragic consequence of a corrupt, broken education system.
Rahul Gandhi wrote, "Akanksha wanted to become a doctor and serve the nation and society. Akanksha's father is a farmer. To fulfil his daughter's dream of becoming a doctor, he took a loan of ₹3 lakh on a Kisan Credit Card. And he took up a job as a cook in Nagpur, so that his daughter could attend coaching there. A father did everything he could. Then the NEET paper leaked. The exam was cancelled. In that uncertainty, Akanksha left us forever."
"Akanksha's death was not suicide, it's the consequence of a corrupt, broken system under Modi ji. And Dharmendra Pradhan ji? He's still in his chair today. The same committee. The same transfers. The same investigations. No reforms, no justice. Modi ji, power is not permanent, it comes and goes. But the extent to which you've ruined the education system in 12 years, an entire young generation of India is paying the price for it," he wrote.
Concurrently, the investigation into the paper leak continues to unfold in court. The Rouse Avenue court extended the judicial custody of key accused individuals—including Yash Yadav, Mangilal Biwal, and others—until June 15. The CBI probe has revealed a massive syndicate where leaked papers were allegedly traded for sums ranging between ₹10 lakh and ₹12 lakh. Amid intensifying student protests across the country, the court also allowed accused Yash Yadav to receive study books in custody to prepare for the rescheduled NEET-UG exam, which is set to take place on June 21.
