New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said on Friday that a NEET aspirant’s suicide in Uttar Pradesh was a “murder by the system” and asked how many more such deaths would it take for the government to be held accountable.
Ritik Mishra, 21, of Lakhimpur Kheri allegedly hanged himself on Thursday as he was distressed by the cancellation of the NEET-UG exam over paper leak allegations, his family said, adding that the student was confident that his attempt went well in his third shot at the entrance test.
In a post on X in Hindi, Gandhi vowed to fight the battle against exam corruption and promised the youth that he stood with them and those stealing their future would have to answer.
“‘No more competitive exams now’. These were the last words of 21-year-old Ritik Mishra from Lakhimpur Kheri. This child, appearing for NEET for the third time, broke down the moment the exam was cancelled.
“In Goa too, a NEET aspirant took his own life. These children didn’t lose to the exams – they were killed by a corrupt system. This isn’t suicide – it’s murder by the system,” Gandhi said.
“Modi ji – how many Ritiks will it take to awaken your accountability?” the leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha asked, addressing Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Assuring the youth that he stood with them in getting justice, he said, “My young friends, your pain is my pain. Your hard work is my hard work. Those who steal your future will have to answer. No matter how long it takes, no one will be spared – this is my promise. We will fight this battle together – and we will win.”
Citing numbers, Gandhi said from 2015 to 2026, 148 paper scams happened and 87 exams were cancelled and the futures of nine crore children were affected.
“Out of 148 scams, only 1 resulted in punishment. CBI took up 17 cases, ED took 11 – no one was punished. In just NEET, AIPMT, and other medical exams – 15 scams.
“And the most shameful part: In these scams, not a single officer or minister responsible resigned. They’re removed – and then quietly reinstated to higher positions. Those who orchestrate the theft get rewarded, while the children taking the exams lose their lives,” the Congress leader said in his post.
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said the news of Mishra’s death was heartbreaking.
Expressing her condolences to Mishra’s grief-stricken parents, she said according to the aggrieved family, Ritik was under severe mental stress due to the cancellation of the NEET exam.
“The rampant corruption in examinations is claiming the lives of our youth. Every year, the futures of lakhs of students are being ruined. When will this chain of events stop? When will accountability be fixed,” she asked.
Mishra allegedly hanged himself on Thursday at his house in Gangotrinagar locality, a family member said.
It was Mishra’s third NEET attempt, and he was highly confident of clearing the exam, his father said.
Though no suicide note was recovered from the locked room where he was found hanging, his parents and other close family members said the paper leak and consequent cancellation of the exam were the reason.
The student’s father, Anoop Mishra said his son returned to the city from their village on Wednesday and did not hide the stress and agony he was undergoing over the exam cancellation.
