Tragic events in Tamil Nadu spotlight mental health struggles among students prepping for high-stakes exams. On Saturday,June 20, 2026,two NEET aspirants took their own lives in separate districts,raising alarms about academic pressure.
In Dharmapuri,19-year-old R. Roshini was found dead at home in Endapatti, where she'd been studying for the NEET exam set for next day. Her father,Ramakrishnan, discovered her body around 5:30 p.m. after getting home. Roshini finished Class 12 in 2025 and had been attending a NEET coaching center in Namakkal for last two months. Local police launched an investigation, sending her body to Dharmapuri Medical College Hospital for postmortem.
Meanwhile,in Krishnagiri district, 20-year-old C. Vetri Anandan also succumbed to his struggles same day. A Bagalur Road resident near Hosur,Vetri completed Class 12 in 2023 and had been prepping for NEET for two years at a Namakkal coaching center. Despite efforts,he'd failed twice before. After taking exam again on May 3,it was canceled fourth time. His mother,Uthirakumari, found him unresponsive after returning from grocery store around 2:30 p.m. Police found a note from Vetri, expressing inability to cope with NEET-induced mental anguish,stating no one was to blame.
Authorities in both districts are probing circumstances of these tragedies. Incidents highlight urgent need for mental health support for students under academic pressure. Help available through state’s health helpline at 104, Tele-MANAS at 14416, and suicide prevention helpline Sneha at 044-24640050. But is it enough…?
