NEW DELHI: For 20-year-old Rema Begum, becoming a doctor was more than a career ambition—it was her family’s hope for a better future. Raised in a remote village in India’s northeastern state of Assam while caring for her chronically ill mother, she spent years preparing for one of the country’s most competitive medical entrance examinations.
Confident she had finally secured a place at a government medical college, Begum’s dreams were shattered when authorities announced that the examination paper had been leaked and candidates would have to retake the test.
Just days later, she died by suicide.
According to local media reports and activists, Begum was among at least 20 students who reportedly took their own lives following the examination scandal, which has triggered nationwide protests and renewed scrutiny of India’s education system.
A family’s dream cut short
A month after losing his daughter, Begum’s father, Rajaul Islam, says he is still struggling to understand what happened.
Speaking to AFP, the fish trader recalled how confident his daughter had been immediately after the examination.
“After the exam, she was absolutely confident that she would clear it.”
However, everything changed after the retest was announced.
“After a retest was announced because the paper had leaked, she became a different person and withdrew into a shell.”
Islam said he had invested heavily in her education, paying for two years of coaching classes in larger cities despite the family’s limited financial means.
“I had spent a lot of money on her studies, so she was worried it would all go to waste.”
Days before the rescheduled examination, Begum was found dead.
Fierce competition for medical seats
The tragedy has highlighted the enormous pressure faced by students competing for admission to India’s government medical colleges.
Former professor and literary scholar G.N. Devy said qualifying for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) often represents a family’s best chance of financial security.
“Getting through the NEET examination therefore means, for many families, the assurance of a happy and comfortable life.”
However, demand far exceeds the number of available places.
More than two million candidates sat this year’s examination, competing for only about 137,000 medical college seats across India.
The intense competition has fuelled a massive coaching industry, with many families making enormous financial sacrifices in hopes that their children will secure admission.
Families sacrifice everything
In Rajasthan, farmer Rajesh Kumar sold ancestral land and borrowed 1.1 million rupees to fund three years of coaching for his son, Pradeep Meena.
“I toiled for up to 16 hours a day on the farm so that he could take coaching classes.”
Kumar believed becoming a doctor would secure both his son’s future and provide financial stability for the family.
After completing the examination, Meena confidently told his father:
“Even God cannot stop me from becoming a doctor now.”
But a day after authorities announced the retest, the 22-year-old also died by suicide.
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Another family loses hope
In Uttar Pradesh, 21-year-old Ritik Mishra also reportedly took his own life after news of the examination leak emerged.
His father, Anup Kumar Mishra, said it had been his son’s third attempt at clearing the exam.
“It was his third attempt, and he said he had done well this time.”
The following day, tragedy struck the family.
Students describe emotional trauma
Students who were required to sit the examination again described the experience as emotionally exhausting.
Nineteen-year-old Chaitanya Aggarwal said the retest severely affected students’ morale.
“It is very demoralising mentally. You give your best and then you are forced to take it again.”
Teachers echoed those concerns.
Abhijit Patra, who teaches at a coaching centre in Kolkata, said students already face enormous stress while preparing for such competitive examinations.
“Paper leaks make an already hectic experience even worse.”
A sense of betrayal
Education experts say the scandal has left many families feeling deeply betrayed after years of sacrifice.
Professor Devy noted that lower-income households often invest their life savings in coaching programmes because private universities and overseas education remain financially out of reach.
“They begin this journey of preparation with hope, so when they discover the paper has leaked or been sold, they feel betrayed.”
Calls for reforms
The examination leak has become a nationwide issue, fuelling protests and demands for accountability and comprehensive reforms to India’s education system.
Back in Assam, Begum’s father says he hopes no other family experiences the pain his family has endured.
“I request the government to take irregularities in examinations seriously.”
“They should understand that it is not easy for a child from a poor family to dream of a better life and work towards it.”
