Failed to clear civil service exam; woman commits suicide in the city

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CHENNAI: It was the dream of Anu (28), a native of Salem who lived with her doctor sister in Chennai, to be a civil servant. But when the dream could not come true even after two attempts, she ended her life by hanging herself with a nylon saree.

Last Monday, when the younger sister, Dr Manimozhi (23), returned from work to their home in Tiruvalluvar Quarters in Thirumangalam, she found Anu not answering the doorbell. When she looked in from the window, she found her sister hanging. A devastated Manimozhi then informed her parents in Salem and the police.

Anu, daughter of Annadurai, had undergone rigorous coaching in Delhi to appear for the civil services exams. She had twice managed to clear the prelims but could not clear the finals, police said. She had completed her post graduation and taking all measures that she could to get through the exams.

Dr Manimozhi told the police that her sister had been in a state of depression for the last one week. "She would tell her sister that while she had managed to complete MBBS and get a job, she was yet to get what she dreamt of. She was completely heartbroken ever since the UPSC results came out and refused to get out of home. On Monday, when Manimozhi left for the hospital, Anu hanged herself using a nylon saree," a police official said.

According to behavioural psychologist Sunil Shankar, there was no need for the person to be under extreme duress and that an individual taking the civil services exam would be expected to show more maturity and drive. "Frustration can be caused by over-aspiring (yearning for a goal that is beyond their potential). We cannot rule out peer pressure either," he said.

Pointing out that there was no discounting the fact that the exams can take a toll if a person was repeatedly faced with what they perceived to be failure, the psychologist said this could steer them towards aberrant actions. "A person in their immediate enviroment, like a member of an individual's family or their peer group, should pick out clues such as depression, lethargy and sudden withdrawal from activities. If they make ambiguous statements like, It's been nice knowing you', this is a sign that the person is approaching the end of his or her tether and cannot take much anymore. In these cases, it is imperative that an individual be urged to take a break or seek help from a qualified psychotherapist," Shankar said.