India recorded a nearly 80% increase in student suicides over a decade, rising from 8,068 cases in 2014 to 14,488 in 2024, according to the National Crime Records Bureau's Accidental Deaths and Suicides in India report. The figures emerged after nationwide protests over repeated exam cancellations and question-paper leaks, followed by the government's announcement at the end of July that the education minister would resign.

The report listed failure in examinations as the leading cause of suicide among students after family problems. The Guardian spoke with four families whose children died amid examination pressure, paper leaks, retests or admission-system changes. Families of Delhi student Anshika Pandey and Rajasthan student Pradeep Kumar Mahich said their children were devastated after the NEET paper leak and the announcement of a retest.

Sufi Shaheen of Delhi had been under mental pressure over a JEE syllabus change and fear of failing on a second attempt, her mother said. Anitha of Tamil Nadu lost hope after not reaching the NEET cutoff while studying a different syllabus, her brother said. Mahich's father called for a proper investigation, while Anitha's brother argued that examinations should be administered by state governments rather than the central government.