Chennai: A 21-year-old student preparing for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) died by suicide near Chennai, media reports said.

The student, Devadharshini, had been attending coaching classes and was reportedly under stress after failing to clear the exam in four previous attempts, reported NDTV.

NEET is scheduled to be held on May 4.

Her father, Selvaraj, runs a bakery in Kilambakkam, about 40 km from Chennai.

The family had relocated from the Tamil Nadu capital after their earlier bakery business struggled.

According to officials, Devadharshini had expressed stress over the exam, but her parents reassured her that she had nothing to worry about.

On Friday, she spent most of her time at her father’s bakery before heading home, where her mother later found her hanging.

Opposition targets DMK

Devadharshini’s death has reignited the debate over NEET in Tamil Nadu.

At least 20 aspirants have died by suicide in the state over the past eight years.

The ruling DMK and the AIADMK have both opposed NEET, arguing that it disproportionately benefits affluent students and undermines equal opportunities.

In 2021, the Tamil Nadu Assembly passed a bill seeking an exemption from NEET, but it has yet to receive presidential assent.

Following the incident, AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami criticised Chief Minister MK Stalin and his party, accusing them of misleading students with promises to abolish NEET in Tamil Nadu.

“The DMK lied and deceived students by saying there would be no NEET in Tamil Nadu if it came to power. Are the continuing deaths because of NEET not a cause for concern for the DMK?” Palaniswami wrote in Tamil on X.

“How are you going to wipe away the bloodstains that keep accumulating on your hands from the big lie you told for electoral gains?” he added.