Rahul Gandhi slams ‘broken system’ for death of NEET aspirant

Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi. File | Photo credit: The Hindu

Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Thursday (June 4, 2026) hit out at the Narendra Modi government over the “corrupt and broken” education system following reports that a NEET candidate from Madhya Pradesh was found dead. .

In a post on X, Mr. Gandhi mentioned Akanksha Chaturvedi, a student from Mauganj district who was preparing for the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) in Nagpur.

According to media reports, she was found dead after she was allegedly overcome by depression following the alleged paper leak and cancellation of her exams on May 3.

Mr Gandhi said Akanksha aspired to become a doctor and came from a farming family. He noted that her father took a loan of ₹3,000 against his Kisan credit card and also worked as a cook in Nagpur to support her coaching expenses.

Tragic result

“Father did everything humanly possible. Then the NEET paper was leaked. The examination was cancelled. In the midst of this uncertainty, Akanksha left us forever,” Mr Gandhi said.

“Akanksha’s death was not a suicide, it is a tragic outcome of a corrupt and broken system under PM Modi’s rule,” he claimed.

Taking aim at Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Mr Gandhi said despite repeated disputes, no substantive remedial measures had been taken apart from committees, transfers and enquiries.

“Mr Modi, power is not permanent – it comes and goes. But a whole generation of Indian youth is now paying the price for the extent to which you have destroyed the education system in the last 12 years,” the Congress leader said.

The NEET (UG) 2026 exam, which was conducted by the National Testing Agency on May 3, was canceled on May 12 following allegations of a paper leak. The matter is being investigated by the CBI and a re-examination is scheduled for June 21.

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Published – June 4, 2026 12:07 PM IST