Desk Correspondent , New Delhi — In a tragic fallout of the NEET-UG 2026 cancellation over a paper leak, three medical aspirants allegedly died by suicide in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Delhi this week. The sudden scrapping of the May 3 exam has shattered over 22 lakh candidates who spent years preparing for the highly competitive test. Amid growing national outrage over the systemic failure, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan announced a re-examination scheduled for June 21, asserting a "zero-tolerance" policy toward irregularities.

The victims, all repeat candidates who were highly confident of clearing the exam this year, reportedly succumbed to immense mental stress following the NTA’s announcement. In Rajasthan’s Sikar, a 3-year aspirant expecting a stellar score of 650 hanged himself in his rented room. Similarly, a 21-year-old student in UP’s Lakhimpur Kheri on his third attempt, and a 20-year-old woman in Delhi who previously missed the cutoff by just four marks, took their lives after being emotionally devastated by the sudden cancellation.

The tragedies have sparked fierce political backlash, with opposition leaders holding the government accountable for the crisis. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav fiercely condemned the institutional lapse, with Gandhi labeling the deaths "murder by the system." While political delegations demand heavy financial compensation and accountability for affected families, grief-stricken parents emphasize that the relentless pressure of repeated attempts, combined with institutional corruption, has pushed vulnerable students over the edge.