Jaipur, June 16: Ahead of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s scheduled visit to Kota on June 17 to launch a protest against a paper leak, a NEET aspirant was found dead in Rajasthan’s education hub of Sikar, highlighting the continuing mental health crisis among competitive exam candidates.

Twenty-two-year-old Umesh Mali, a NEET aspirant preparing for his third attempt at the medical entrance examination, was found hanging in his family’s flat in Sikar on Monday. Police recovered a suicide note from the scene and have launched an investigation.

The incident marks the second reported suicide involving a NEET aspirant in Sikar within the last month.

According to Udyog Nagar SHO Rajesh Kumar Budania, Umesh, a resident of Kari village in Nawalgarh, was living in a private residential complex with his mother, elder sister and younger brother while preparing for the examination. Family members discovered him after returning home in the afternoon. Following a post-mortem examination, the body was handed over to the family. Umesh’s father, Laxmanram Mali, works as a tiles contractor in Mumbai. The family owns the flat where Umesh had been staying for studies.

The NEET re-examination is scheduled for June 21, and this would have been his third attempt. Family members told police that Umesh had returned to Sikar on Monday morning after dropping his mother at their native village.

His death comes barely a month after another NEET aspirant, 23-year-old Pradeep Mahich from Jhunjhunu district, died by suicide in Sikar. Pradeep had been living in rented accommodation and preparing for NEET for the past three years. His family had said he was academically strong and expected to perform well in the examination but had been experiencing emotional distress in the days leading up to his death.

Pradeep’s death had drawn national attention after NSUI national president Vinod Jakhar facilitated a conversation between the bereaved family and Rahul Gandhi. The family later met Gandhi in New Delhi, where he expressed condolences and assured them of support. The latest tragedy comes just ahead of Gandhi’s visit to Kota on June 17.

The Congress leader is scheduled to participate in a programme focused on student suicides and the intense pressures faced by students in the country’s largest coaching hub. The Congress workers said that Rahul Gandhi will spend approximately four and a half hours, from 5:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., among students, engaging in direct dialogue with them. A key feature of the event is that there will be no speeches by political leaders. Rahul Gandhi will interact one-on-one with students to listen to their issues, suggestions, and experiences.

Students preparing for various competitive examinations, including NEET aspirants, have been invited to the event.

With this event, the Congress party is set to launch a nationwide student outreach campaign focusing on issues affecting young people, including alleged irregularities in competitive examinations, the NEET paper leak controversy, and broader concerns related to the education system.

Meanwhile, with another aspirant losing his life on the eve of the visit, the issue of student well-being in Rajasthan’s coaching centres has once again come into sharp focus, raising fresh questions about the effectiveness of existing support mechanisms and the need for systemic reforms, said officials.

Thiruvananthapuram, June 16: Kerala’s first free travel initiative for women and transgender persons has received a massive public response, with the newly launched Priyadarshini Free Travel Scheme turning into a major success story on its very first day.

On the flip side, the private bus operators through this scheme have been rubbed the wrong way. The private operators said that, at the end of Monday night, a first assessment revealed that they failed to get even the money for diesel.

“We will assess things, and we are waiting to meet Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan to explain our side,” said an office-bearer of the operators.

The free travel scheme, launched on Monday by the Satheesan-led state government, witnessed more than 13 lakh women travelling free on KSRTC ordinary buses on the inaugural day, marking a significant moment in Kerala’s public transport sector.

The response was reflected in the sharp rise in the number of women passengers.

Compared to the previous Monday, the number of women travellers on KSRTC ordinary services nearly doubled.

While 7,34,693 women had used KSRTC ordinary buses on June 8 (Monday), the figure jumped to 13,29,938 on Monday.

The increase means that nearly six lakh additional women opted for KSRTC services after the introduction of the free travel facility.

As many as 5,95,245 more women passengers travelled on Monday than a week before, underlining the immediate impact of the initiative.

The first-day figures have also given the government a strong boost, with the estimated value of women’s tickets issued under the scheme alone reaching Rs 2.20 crore.

The overwhelming turnout has strengthened the government’s assessment that the scheme could bring more women into public transport usage in the days ahead.

The initiative was formally inaugurated at 9 a.m. on Monday at the KSRTC Complex in Thampanoor, Thiruvananthapuram. Satheesan marked the launch by ringing the traditional double bell, signalling the start of a programme described as a landmark welfare measure.

Under the scheme, women and transgender persons are provided zero-fare tickets for travel on KSRTC ordinary buses across the state.

The government has projected the move as an effort to enhance mobility, reduce travel burdens and improve access to education, employment and essential services.

With Kerala witnessing such a strong response on day one, the Priyadarshini scheme has emerged as a key achievement for the new government and a significant step towards making public transport more inclusive, but leaving the private operators in distress.

Lucknow, June 16: With preparations gaining pace for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has intensified efforts to revive its strongest social engineering — outreach to the Other Backward Classes (OBCs).

At a review meeting held here on Tuesday, BSP president Mayawati directed party leaders and workers to strengthen the organisation at the grassroots level and work towards recreating the political conditions that enabled the party to secure a full majority in 2007.

She signalled that the OBC would remain central to the party’s electoral strategy in the upcoming polls.

During the meeting, Mayawati conducted a detailed assessment of the party’s organisational presence among OBC communities, voter outreach, and election preparedness. She noted that the decisive role played by OBCs in the BSP’s 2007 victory must be rebuilt through sustained engagement and renewed trust.

She instructed party workers to establish direct contact with backward class communities in villages and small towns, and to communicate the party’s policies and commitment to social justice.

Mayawati asserted that the genuine interests and welfare of OBCs were safeguarded only under BSP governments, while accusing other parties of limiting their engagement to only electoral gains.

The BSP chief also highlighted her party’s record in promoting social dignity, political participation and economic development of Dalits and backward classes during its tenure.

Referring to issues such as reservation and social justice, she said the party had consistently worked to protect the rights of marginalised communities in line with the spirit of the Constitution.

Political observers believe the OBC electorate is once again emerging as a decisive factor in Uttar Pradesh politics. While the BJP, Samajwadi Party and Congress are all striving to consolidate support among this segment, the BSP is seeking to revive its traditional Dalit-OBC alliance.

Mayawati’s meeting is being seen as an important indicator of the party’s roadmap for the 2027 elections in this context.