'I don't want to be a doctor': Maharashtra teen dies after NEET success

The victim, identified as Anurag Anil Borkar from Maharashtra's Chandrapur district, reportedly left a suicide note saying he did not want to pursue a career in medicine

A 19-year-old from Maharashtra’s Chandrapur district died by suicide on the day he was scheduled to leave for medical college admission in Gorakhpur, according to India Today. 

The victim, identified as Anurag Anil Borkar, reportedly left a suicide note stating he did not want to become a doctor. Borkar, a resident of Nawargaon in Sindewahi taluka, had recently cleared the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) UG 2025 with a 99.99 percentile, securing an All-India Rank of 1,475 in the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category.

 

Citing police reports, the news outlet said Borkar died by suicide at his residence before he could depart for the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Gorakhpur. He was found hanging at his home, where he lived with his family. According to the report, Borkar had appeared for NEET twice—qualifying in his first attempt but sitting again in hopes of securing admission to a preferred college.

 

In his note, Borkar reportedly wrote: “I don’t want to do MBBS. A businessman earns as much as a doctor. I don’t want to go through five years of study and then an MD.”

 

Sindewahi police station in-charge Kanchan Pandey said, “We received information around 4 am that Anurag, son of Anil Borkar from Nawargaon, had hanged himself in his room. A team rushed to the spot and initiated proceedings. A suicide note has been seized, which indicates that he was unable to handle the pressure of continuing medical studies.”

 

The case is currently under investigation by Navargaon police.

 

Another NEET death days earlier in Kota

 

Borkar’s death comes just days after another 19-year-old NEET aspirant ended her life in Kota, mere hours before the exam.

 

Aspiring NEET candidates often face intense pressure due to the high-stakes nature of the examination. Those who struggle to cope with expectations sometimes experience severe emotional distress.

 

Since January this year, India has witnessed 14 reported suicides among coaching students in Rajasthan’s Kota. In 2024, there were 17 such deaths in the city, which is widely known as the coaching capital of India. It draws thousands of students annually who prepare for competitive exams like NEET (for medicine) and IIT-JEE (for engineering).

 

In May, another minor girl died by suicide in Kota’s Parshavnath area, found hanging from an iron grille in her room, ahead of the NEET exam.