Maharashtra - A 19 year old student from Chandrapur district, Maharashtra, died by suicide on September 24, the same day he was set to join medical college. The victim, identified as Anurag Anil Borkar, had scored an impressive 99.99 percentile in NEET UG 2025 and secured an All India Rank of 1,475 in the OBC category.
A 26-year analysis of national data shows a concerning rise in suicides among Indian children and adolescents, with late adolescents facing the highest vulnerability.
Key contributing factors include family issues, academic pressure, illness, and mental health conditions. The study emphasizes the urgent need for targeted interventions and support systems to protect vulnerable youth and reduce suicide risk. 1
According to police, Anurag was found hanging at his home in Nawargaon village, Sindewahi taluka, shortly before he was scheduled to leave for Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, for his MBBS admission process.
Sindewahi police station in-charge Kanchan Pandey stated that authorities received information around 4 a.m. that Anurag, son of Anil Borkar from Nawargaon, had been found hanging in his room.
Investigators recovered a suicide note from the scene, in which he reportedly stated that he did not want to become a doctor. Authorities have confirmed the existence of the note but have not released its full contents.
Anurag lived with his family in Nawargaon and had recently cleared NEET UG with a near-perfect score. He was preparing to travel for his medical admission on the day of the incident. His academic achievements had placed him among the top performers in the NEET entrance exam, making his sudden death a major shock to the community.
In their study, Kunnen examined how structured career-choice guidance impacted students’ self-reported clarity, certainty, and decisiveness regarding their future vocational paths.
Importantly, the study also indicated that psychological challenges (such as indecision or uncertainty) should not automatically be viewed as barriers to participating in career guidance programs. Rather, these support systems can be effective even for students facing mental or emotional difficulties, helping them to better navigate choices about their future professions. 2
Local police from Nawargaon have registered a case of accidental death and are continuing their investigation. Officials are speaking with the family to understand any additional circumstances that may have led to the incident. As of now, no foul play has been suspected, and the case is being treated as a suicide based on preliminary evidence.
Parents often knowingly or unknowingly pressure their children to choose conventional career paths over perusing the child's own preferred profession. However most of the times this pressure messes up with the Child's mental health and lead them into talking such life threatening decisions.
The tragedy has once again highlighted the mental and emotional pressure faced by students preparing for competitive exams like NEET.
Reference
1. Chowdhury, Arpita, and S. R. Patel. 2024. “Trajectory of Suicide Among Indian Children and Adolescents: A Pooled Analysis of National Data from 1995 to 2021.” Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health 18: 91. https://capmh.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13034-024-00818-9.
2. Kunnen, E. S. “The Effect of a Career Choice Guidance on Self-Reported Clarity, Certainty, and Decisiveness.” PMC (2014). Accessed September 25, 2025. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4045055/.
(Rh/Eth/ARC/MSM)