March 30, 2025: A 21 year old NEET aspirant, Devadarshini, died by suicide in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, due to fear of the exam, sparking a political row. Devadarshini had failed the exam three times and was preparing for her fourth attempt, scheduled for May.

She had shared concerns about repeated failures, wasted time and financial strain on family with her father, who consoled her and asked to focus on her studies instead.

The opposition party, AIDMK, blamed the ruling DMK for the student’s death, accusing them of introducing NEET and deceiving students by promising to abolish it if they came to power.

Devadarshini’s death isn’t an isolated incident. According to reports, at least 20 students have died by suicide in the past eight years in the state. The opposition party has criticized the DMK govt for not taking adequate steps to address the stress and pressure faced by NEET aspirants.