‘All I Do Is Study’, ‘I Have No Friends’: How Exam Rows Like NEET Hit Students' Mental Health Hard

Many students in India, who prepare for yearly entrance exams like NEET-UG, NEET-PG, UGC NET, UPSC, live in isolation and suffer in silence

The NEET UG 2024 is in the eye of a storm over allegations of inflated marks and other malpractices. ( Image Source :PTI )

“I missed my grandfather’s funeral. I did not even attend his barsi. I can’t recall the last family function I attended. I used to be a social butterfly. But now, I don’t have any friends,” said Surbhi, a NEET UG examinee from Bihar who has been left reeling by the row surrounding this year’s exam. Surbhi, 23, is one of several students now navigating an unprecedented level of stress at a time when they expected to relax. After completing an exam that