We owe it to us: Kareena says students deserve better, supports nationwide protests
Kareena Kapoor has supported the students protesting across India over the NEET paper leak and education reforms. His statement adds a prominent film voice to the demand for accountability and a credible merit-based system.
Actress Kareena Kapoor on Thursday expressed solidarity with students protesting across India demanding education reforms and accountability. neet paper leak And resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Sharing a note on Instagram, the actor described students as the future of the country and said that listening to them is not an option but an obligation.
Kareena, one of Bollywood’s biggest stars, said she felt compelled to speak about it after “sit with it for a few days”.
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She wrote, “I’ve been sitting with this for a few days, but I can’t sit with it anymore. It’s impossible to ignore the voices of so many young people… and they shouldn’t. We all know what an education means to a child. It gives them confidence. It gives them hope. It gives families proof that tomorrow can be better than today.”
The 45-year-old actress, who is a mother of two boys, stressed the importance of a fair and trustworthy education system. He said that students should never be made to feel that their hard work and determination is in vain.
“But education only works if kids believe in it. And they stop believing the moment they suspect that honesty, hard work, and merit don’t really matter. No child should have to wonder whether their efforts will be enough. They deserve a system they can trust, where merit is real, efforts are rewarded, and every child starts out on the same level. That’s not too much to ask. That’s the minimum (sic).”
“When an entire generation speaks with one voice about their future, listening is not a courtesy. It is an obligation that we owe them,” Kareena said, referring to the movement largely led by Gen-Z students.
He concluded by urging people to support the students and stand with them and said that the country’s children are closely watching how adults respond to the crisis.
He wrote, “Our children are watching us as closely as we watch them. How we respond now… not eventually, right now… will tell them everything about whether fairness and trust are real, or just words adults use. They are not preparing for tomorrow. They are tomorrow.”
Kareena is among the many film celebrities who have publicly supported the student movement in the past few days. The protests that started at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi have now spread to many cities, with demonstrations taking place in Mumbai, Bengaluru, Patna and other parts of the country.
The CJP (Cockroach Janata Party) led movement emerged after the NEET 2026 paper leak and turned into nationwide protests over repeated exam irregularities. Students are demanding greater transparency and accountability in the examination system as well as strict security measures against paper leaks, comprehensive reforms, compensation for affected candidates and the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
The campaign culminated in the Chalo Sansad march in Delhi on 20 July, when thousands of students gathered at Jantar Mantar before clashes broke out after police stopped the march towards Parliament.