An 18-year-old woman, a NEET aspirant, allegedly died by suicide in Delhi on Wednesday just days before the scheduled re-test of the NEET UG 2026 exam, casting a fresh spotlight on the immense pressure faced by candidates amid exam irregularities.
The retest is scheduled to be held on June 21, 2026, following the cancellation of the original exam held on May 3, 2026 after allegations of a question paper leak emerged.
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Identity of the student
The police said the woman who took the extreme step has been identified as Renu Meena, who hailed from the Bhanokhar village in Rajasthan’s Alwar district. Her family members said she had been grappling with severe emotional distress ever since the original exam had been scrapped.
Aspirations cut short by controversy
Renu had moved to Delhi earlier to prepare for the pan-India medical entrance examination, and was residing at a rented flat with her three sisters and a brother. According to her kin, the siblings studied together and often visited a nearby library to prepare for the exam.
Her uncle, Yogesh Meena said Renu was determined to secure admission to a medical college and had been working tirelessly for the upcoming retest. She, according to her kin, had scored more than 90% marks in both her Class 10 and Class 12 board exams and nurtured a long-standing dream of becoming a doctor.
Renu found hanging at home
According to sources, Renu took the drastic step on the evening of June 14 when she and her siblings returned to their flat after studying.
Renu went to her room. After some time, when her family members called her for tea, they received no response. They went to check on her and allegedly found her hanging from a noose attached to a ventilator.
Her family believes that the uncertainty surrounding the exam and the cancellation of the May 3 test had taken a heavy emotional toll on her.
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3rd such incident in a month
Renu’s alleged suicide is the latest in a series of tragic incidents involving NEET aspirants following the cancellation of the examination. Last month, Umesh Mali (22), a resident of Rajasthan’s Jhunjhunu, allegedly died by suicide in Sikar. He too was scheduled to take the retest.
Earlier, on May 15, Pradeep Mahich ended his life just three days after the NTA announced the cancellation of the NEET UG 2026 exam.