ONE MORE MED EDUCATION ASPIRANT DIES

Chennai, Sept. 15: A 17-yearold girl , an aspirant of MBBS and belonging to a village in Vellore district, died by suicide on Wednesday as she was concerned that she may not get through the National Eligibility-Cum-Entrance Test, police said.

As the number of student suicides increased to three within four days, starting with that of Dhanush on September

12 when the national test was held, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin and leaders of political parties, conveying their condolences to the bereaved family, earnestly appealed once again to the student community to not take such extreme measures.

The government announced a dedicated toll free number,

104, for offering counselling to medical aspirants who appeared for NEET.

The girl, Soundarya belonging to Thalayarampattu village near Katpadi in Vellore district, who had appeared for NEET on Sunday was dejected as she was worried that she may not be able to clear the test, police said.

She hanged herself on Wednesday by 9.30 am in a room of her house using a saree, a Katpadi police officer said.

Over a span of about four years, Soundarya is the 17th medical aspirant to die by suicide in Tamil Nadu following the introduction of NEET.

Stalin said he was shattered to learn about her suicide and squarely blamed the Central government for being “stonehearted” and unrelenting to exempt Tamil Nadu from the ambit of NEET.

He reiterated his staunch opposition to the test and once again assured cancelling the test, apparently in its application to Tamil Nadu.