Nagpur: Two NEET aspirants died by suicide on Wednesday in separate incidents in Nagpur. The students, aged 16 and 17, were residing in the city to attend coaching classes and had been preparing for the highly competitive medical entrance examination. The deceased have been identified as Khwahish Devram Nagare (16) and Vaidehi Anil Uike (17).

Khwahish Devram Nagare, from Balaghat in Madhya Pradesh, was found hanging from the ceiling fan in his hostel room in the morning. The incident occurred under the jurisdiction of the Ambazari Police Station.

He had moved to Nagpur to prepare for the NEET exam and was attending coaching classes at the Physics Wallah Tuition Centre on Canal Road. He had been staying in a private hostel in the city during his preparation.

Before taking the extreme step, he left behind a brief note which read: “Sorry, mom-dad, I won’t be able to do it.” Only a few hours before Khwahish’s death, another NEET aspirant, 17-year-old Vaidehi Anil Uike, also died by suicide.

She was staying in a separate part of the city under the jurisdiction of the Hingna Police Station.

Her death has been registered as an accidental death by the police, adding to growing concerns around the mental health challenges faced by students in such high-pressure environments.

The back-to-back tragedies have prompted a wider conversation on the mental toll of academic pressure, especially concerning entrance exams like NEET.

Nagpur Police Commissioner Ravinder Kumar Singhal issued an appeal to parents, urging them to be more attentive to their children’s emotional health. "Please do not burden children with pressure to succeed academically. There are many career options available today -- even for those who may not wish to pursue formal education," he said.