Intro
Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Friday expressed grief over the alleged suicide of a NEET aspirant in Uttar Pradesh’s Lakhimpur Kheri district, saying repeated irregularities and corruption in competitive examinations are pushing students into severe mental distress.
Lucknow
According to the student’s family, Ritik Mishra had appeared for the NEET-UG examination in Kanpur on May 3 and had returned home hopeful about his performance. However, after the examination was cancelled following allegations of a paper leak, he reportedly became mentally distressed and anxious about his future.
Priyanka Gandhi, in a post on social media platform X, conveyed condolences to the bereaved family and said the incident highlighted the enormous emotional burden being faced by lakhs of students preparing for competitive examinations across the country.
She stated that repeated incidents of exam irregularities and paper leaks were destroying the futures of young aspirants every year. Referring to the family’s claims, she said Ritik had reportedly been under intense stress after the cancellation of the examination and questioned how long such incidents would continue without accountability.
The 22-year-old student allegedly died by suicide at his residence in Lakhimpur Kheri. Local authorities have launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The controversy erupted after the National Testing Agency cancelled the NEET-UG 2026 examination conducted on May 3 following allegations of question paper leaks from multiple centres. The examination is now scheduled to be reconducted on June 21.
The investigation into the alleged paper leak has been handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation. The agency is probing how the question paper was leaked and distributed before the examination. Officials said several raids have been conducted across different states as part of the ongoing investigation.
So far, seven individuals have reportedly been arrested in connection with the alleged leak racket. Investigators are examining possible links between organised groups and those involved in circulating the examination paper illegally.
The controversy has intensified concerns about the credibility and security of large-scale competitive examinations in India. Students, parents, and education experts have increasingly demanded stronger safeguards to prevent leaks and ensure fair evaluation systems.
Amid growing criticism, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan announced on Friday that NEET would shift to a computer-based examination format from next year.