Jodhpur’s Dr SN Medical College which has been reeling from the suicide of third-year pharmacology resident Dr Rakesh Vishnoi on June 13, 2025, saw a resolution with the resignation of the Dr Rajkumar Rathore, senior professor and Head of the Pharmacology Department, informed a post by the Indian Medical Association-Junior Doctors' Network (IMA-JDN) via social media platform X, today, Friday, June 20.
The third-year pharmacology resident doctor allegedly ingested poison, marking him as the latest in a series of student deaths at the institution. His passing had triggered widespread outrage and a symbolic two-hour strike by resident doctors on June 18, who accused the college of institutional neglect, and systemic corruption.
Allegations and protests
Dr Vishnoi’s death has shocked the medical community, particularly due to a video he recorded prior to his demise, in which he reportedly accused his guide, Dr Rajkumar Rathore, of harassment that pushed him to take his life.
His family had refused to cremate his body, staging a sit-in outside the hospital mortuary, demanding a thorough investigation and justice for their loss.
Dr Rajkumar Rathore, Senior Professor and Head of the Pharmacology Department, has submitted his resignation from his roles as Additional Principal and HoD.
The incident has laid bare what many describe as a deep-rooted crisis in India’s medical education system. Dr SN Medical College, alongside All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Jodhpur, has seen at least five student suicides in recent years, including two final-year MBBS students in early 2021 who cited mental stress in their notes.
