Kareena Kapoor backs student protests, calls for trust in education system
Actor Kareena Kapoor has voiced support for students protesting across India over the alleged NEET paper leak, calling for education reforms, accountability and the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. In a note shared on Instagram on Thursday, the actor said students are the nation's future and that listening to their concerns is "an obligation," not a choice.
One of Bollywood's biggest stars, Kareena said she had reflected on the issue before deciding to speak out.
"I've sat with this for a few days, but I can't sit with it any longer. The voices of so many young people asking to be heard are impossible to ignore... and they shouldn't be. We all know what education means to a child. It gives them confidence. It gives them hope. It gives families proof that tomorrow can be better than today (sic)," she wrote.
The 45-year-old actor, who is a mother of two, emphasised that a fair and credible education system is essential for students to believe in the value of hard work and merit.
"But education only works if children believe in it. And they stop believing the moment they suspect that honesty, hard work and merit don't actually count. No child should have to wonder if their effort will be enough. They deserve a system they can trust, where merit is real, effort is rewarded, and every child starts on equal footing. That isn't a lot to ask. It's the bare minimum (sic)," she added.
Referring to the movement led largely by Gen-Z students, Kareena said their collective voice deserved to be heard.
"When an entire generation speaks with one voice about its own future, listening isn't a courtesy we extend. It's an obligation we owe them (sic)," she wrote.
She concluded by urging people to stand with students, saying the country's response to the crisis would shape how young people viewed fairness and trust.
"Our children are watching us as closely as we watch them. How we respond now—not eventually, now—will tell them everything about whether fairness and trust are real, or just words adults use. They aren't preparing for tomorrow. They are tomorrow (sic)," she said.
Kareena joins a growing list of film personalities who have publicly expressed support for the student movement in recent days.
The protests began at New Delhi's Jantar Mantar following the alleged NEET-UG 2026 paper leak and have since spread to several cities, including Mumbai, Bengaluru and Patna.
Led by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), the movement has evolved into a nationwide campaign against repeated examination irregularities. Protesters are demanding greater transparency in the examination system, stronger safeguards against paper leaks, compensation for affected candidates, broader education reforms and the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
The agitation reached a flashpoint during the 'Chalo Sansad' march on July 20, when thousands of students gathered at Jantar Mantar before clashes broke out after police stopped the procession from moving towards Parliament.
