NEET aspirant dies by suicide in Sikar on 3rd attempt eve
Synopsis
Umesh Mali, a 22-year-old from Nawalgarh, was found dead in Sikar just days before his third NEET attempt — the second such death in the city within a month. The tragedy lands the night before Rahul Gandhi's Kota visit to address student suicides, turning a political programme into an urgent reckoning with a mental health emergency in India's coaching belt.
Key Takeaways
Umesh Mali , 22 , a NEET aspirant from Nawalgarh , was found dead at his family's flat in Sikar on Monday, 16 June .
A suicide note was recovered; police have launched an investigation.
This is the second reported suicide by a NEET aspirant in Sikar within a month — the earlier case involved 23-year-old Pradeep Mahich from Jhunjhunu district.
Umesh's third NEET attempt was scheduled for 21 June .
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to visit Kota on 17 June for a student dialogue programme focused on exam pressures and suicides.
The Congress is set to launch a nationwide student outreach campaign addressing the NEET paper leak and education system concerns.
A 22-year-old NEET aspirant, Umesh Mali, was found dead at his family's flat in Sikar, Rajasthan on Monday, 16 June, days before his scheduled third attempt at the medical entrance examination on 21 June. Police recovered a suicide note from the scene and have initiated an investigation. The death underscores a deepening mental health crisis among competitive exam candidates in Rajasthan's coaching belt.
What Happened
Umesh, a resident of Kari village in Nawalgarh, had been living in a private residential complex in Sikar with his mother, elder sister, and younger brother while preparing for NEET. According to Udyog Nagar SHO Rajesh Kumar Budania, family members discovered him after returning home in the afternoon. A post-mortem examination was conducted, following which the body was handed over to the family. His father, Laxmanram Mali, works as a tiles contractor in Mumbai; the family owns the flat where Umesh had been staying.
Family members told police that Umesh had returned to Sikar on Monday morning after dropping his mother at their native village — making him alone in the flat for a period before the discovery.
Second Such Death in Sikar Within a Month
This incident is the second reported suicide by a NEET aspirant in Sikar within the last month. Barely four weeks ago, 23-year-old Pradeep Mahich from Jhunjhunu district died by suicide in the city. Pradeep had been preparing for NEET for three years in rented accommodation. His family described him as academically strong but said he had been experiencing emotional distress in the days preceding his death.
Pradeep's death drew national attention after NSUI national president Vinod Jakhar facilitated a meeting between the bereaved family and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi, where Gandhi expressed condolences and assured the family of support.
Rahul Gandhi's Kota Visit and Student Outreach
The latest tragedy comes a day before Gandhi's scheduled visit to Kota on 17 June to participate in a programme focused on student suicides and the intense pressures faced by aspirants in India's largest coaching hub. Congress workers said Gandhi will spend approximately four and a half hours — from 5:00 pm to 9:30 pm — engaging directly with students, with no speeches by political leaders planned. The format is designed for one-on-one dialogue, allowing students to share their experiences and concerns.
Students preparing for various competitive examinations, including NEET aspirants, have been invited to the event. The Congress party is also set to use the occasion to launch a nationwide student outreach campaign addressing alleged irregularities in competitive examinations, the NEET paper leak controversy, and broader concerns about the education system.
Systemic Concerns and What Comes Next
Officials noted that with another aspirant losing his life on the eve of Gandhi's visit, the issue of student well-being in Rajasthan's coaching centres has returned to sharp focus. Questions persist about the adequacy of existing mental health support mechanisms and the need for structural reforms within the competitive examination ecosystem. The NEET re-examination is scheduled for 21 June.
Authorities and welfare groups are expected to face renewed pressure to institute mandatory counselling and crisis intervention protocols at coaching centres across the state.
Point of View
And patterns demand systemic answers. The political attention that Rahul Gandhi's Kota visit brings is necessary but insufficient: one-on-one dialogues cannot substitute for mandatory, funded mental health infrastructure at coaching centres. What is missing from both the government's response and the opposition's campaign is a concrete demand for enforceable welfare standards — counsellor-to-student ratios, crisis helplines with real response capacity, and accountability for institutions that profit from aspirants under extreme stress. The NEET paper leak controversy has already eroded trust in the examination system; every student death that follows deepens that erosion.
NationPress
1 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Umesh Mali and what happened to him?
Umesh Mali was a 22-year-old NEET aspirant from Kari village in Nawalgarh, Rajasthan. He was found dead at his family's flat in Sikar on 16 June, days before his scheduled third NEET attempt on 21 June. Police recovered a suicide note and have launched an investigation.
Is this the first such student suicide in Sikar recently?
No — this is the second reported suicide by a NEET aspirant in Sikar within a month. In the previous case, 23-year-old Pradeep Mahich from Jhunjhunu district died by suicide in the city after three years of NEET preparation. His death drew national attention and led to a meeting between his family and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
What is Rahul Gandhi's planned visit to Kota about?
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to visit Kota on 17 June to participate in a student dialogue programme focused on suicides and the pressures faced by competitive exam aspirants. The event, running from 5:00 pm to 9:30 pm, will involve no political speeches — only direct one-on-one conversations between Gandhi and students.
What is the NEET paper leak controversy?
The NEET paper leak refers to alleged irregularities in the conduct of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test, India's primary medical college entrance examination. The controversy has triggered political protests and is a central issue in the Congress party's upcoming nationwide student outreach campaign.
What support mechanisms exist for NEET aspirants under stress?
Officials have acknowledged that existing mental health support mechanisms in Rajasthan's coaching centres are under scrutiny following the two deaths. There is renewed pressure on authorities to institute mandatory counselling and crisis intervention protocols, though no specific new measures have been announced as of the time of reporting.
