Nagpur: A heartbreaking suicide note allegedly written by an 18-year-old NEET aspirant from Madhya Pradesh has brought renewed focus on the emotional toll of competitive examinations, with her family claiming that the recent NEET paper leak controversy and subsequent exam cancellation pushed her into despair.

Akansha Chaturvedi, a resident of Mauganj district in Madhya Pradesh, was preparing for the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) at a coaching institute in Nagpur, where she lived with her family. She died by suicide on May 20.

More than two weeks after her death, family members reportedly discovered a handwritten note tucked inside one of her books while sorting through her belongings following her last rites in their native village.

In the note addressed to her parents, Akansha expressed deep disappointment and anxiety over the possibility of having to reappear for the medical entrance examination. “Mom and Dad, you had faith that your daughter would study hard and become a doctor, but I no longer have the courage to take the NEET exam again,” she wrote.

She further stated that she had expected to score well in her first attempt but feared she might not be able to repeat the performance if required to take the examination again. “I had high hopes of scoring good marks in the NEET exam, but now there is no guarantee that I will perform just as well if I have to take the paper again. I’m sorry, Mom and Dad. I’ve ruined everything,” the note allegedly read.

Her father, Krishna Kumar Chaturvedi, who works as a cook in Nagpur, said he noticed a significant change in his daughter’s behaviour after the examination was cancelled. According to family members, Akansha had been under considerable stress and was deeply affected by the uncertainty surrounding the examination process.

The family has alleged that the NEET paper leak controversy and the subsequent cancellation of the exam contributed to her deteriorating mental state and ultimately led her to take the extreme step.