The tragic suicide of a B Tech gold medallist in Kanpur, driven by the immense pressure to secure a government job, underscores the severe mental health challenges faced by India's highly educated youth.
IMAGE: Kindly note that this image has been posted for representational purposes only. Photograph: ANI Photo
Key Points
- A 23-year-old B Tech gold medallist in Kanpur died by suicide due to stress over failing to secure a government job.
- The deceased, Anand, was a top student, achieving a gold medal in Electrical Engineering and ranking third in Uttar Pradesh.
- He left a note apologising to his father for his inability to succeed in nearly 50 government job attempts.
- Anand's father confirmed his son was under severe stress after failing recruitment exams for Railways, SSC, banks, and education departments.
- Police are investigating the incident, with preliminary findings pointing to job-related stress as the cause.
A 23-year-old B Tech gold medallist allegedly died by suicide at his home in Kanpur, leaving behind a note apologising to his father for failing to secure a government job despite repeated attempts, police said on Sunday.
The deceased, Anand, had topped the B Tech (Electrical Engineering) programme at a private engineering college, PSIT, in 2024 and secured the third rank in Uttar Pradesh. He was awarded a gold medal at a college function on August 13, 2024.
Investigation Into The Tragic Incident
According to the police, Anand was found hanging from a ceiling fan in his room at his three-storey house in the Gujaini area of Govind Nagar after the family's domestic help alerted neighbours and police when repeated knocks on the door went unanswered. His family had travelled to Bihar to finalise his elder brother's marriage.
Police broke open the door and recovered the body along with a handwritten five-line note.
"Sorry, papa, I tried nearly 50 times to get a government job, but I couldn't succeed. Please forgive me," the note read, according to the police.
The body was sent for post-mortem examination, and the last rites were performed at Bhairav Ghat on Saturday evening.
The Mounting Pressure Of Job Scarcity
Anand's father, Rajkumar, a retired employee of Lohiya Private Limited and a native of Buxar in Bihar, said his son completed a one-year apprenticeship with Power Grid after graduation before devoting himself to preparing for competitive examinations.
"He appeared for recruitment examinations conducted by the Railways, SSC, banks and the education department, but could not succeed. He had been under severe stress for the past several months," Rajkumar said.
Station House Officer of Govind Nagar police station Ashok Kumar Dubey said the note had been recovered from the room.
"Preliminary investigation suggests he was under stress over not being able to secure a government job. However, all aspects of the case are being examined," Dubey said.
