We owe it to them: Kareena says students deserve better, backs nationwide protests
Kareena Kapoor has backed students protesting across India over the NEET paper leak and education reforms. Her statement adds a prominent film voice to demands for accountability and a credible merit-based system.
Actor Kareena Kapoor on Thursday expressed solidarity with students protesting across India, demanding education reforms, accountability for the NEET paper leak and the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Sharing a note on Instagram, the actor described students as the nation's future and said listening to them was not a choice but an obligation.
One of Bollywood's biggest stars, Kareena said she felt compelled to speak out after "sitting with it for a few days."
"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 boys, went on to stress the importance of a fair and credible education system. She said students should never be made to feel that their hard work and determination are meaningless.
"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, efforts 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 ongoing movement led largely by Gen-Z students, Kareena said, "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 concluded by urging people to support students and stand by them, saying the country's children are closely watching how adults respond to the crisis.
"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 wrote.
Kareena is among several film personalities who have publicly backed the student movement over the past few days. The protests, which began at New Delhi's Jantar Mantar, have since spread to several cities, with demonstrations also taking place in Mumbai, Bengaluru, Patna and other parts of the country.
The CJP (Cockroach Janta Party)-led movement emerged after the NEET 2026 paper leak and has grown into a nationwide protest over repeated examination irregularities. The students have been demanding greater transparency and accountability in the examination system, along with stricter safeguards against paper leaks, broader 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 July 20, when thousands of students gathered at Jantar Mantar before clashes broke out after police stopped the procession towards Parliament.
Actor Kareena Kapoor on Thursday expressed solidarity with students protesting across India, demanding education reforms, accountability for the NEET paper leak and the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Sharing a note on Instagram, the actor described students as the nation's future and said listening to them was not a choice but an obligation.
One of Bollywood's biggest stars, Kareena said she felt compelled to speak out after "sitting with it for a few days."
"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 boys, went on to stress the importance of a fair and credible education system. She said students should never be made to feel that their hard work and determination are meaningless.
"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, efforts 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 ongoing movement led largely by Gen-Z students, Kareena said, "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 concluded by urging people to support students and stand by them, saying the country's children are closely watching how adults respond to the crisis.
"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 wrote.
Kareena is among several film personalities who have publicly backed the student movement over the past few days. The protests, which began at New Delhi's Jantar Mantar, have since spread to several cities, with demonstrations also taking place in Mumbai, Bengaluru, Patna and other parts of the country.
The CJP (Cockroach Janta Party)-led movement emerged after the NEET 2026 paper leak and has grown into a nationwide protest over repeated examination irregularities. The students have been demanding greater transparency and accountability in the examination system, along with stricter safeguards against paper leaks, broader 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 July 20, when thousands of students gathered at Jantar Mantar before clashes broke out after police stopped the procession towards Parliament.
Actor Kareena Kapoor on Thursday expressed solidarity with students protesting across India, demanding education reforms, accountability for the NEET paper leak and the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Sharing a note on Instagram, the actor described students as the nation's future and said listening to them was not a choice but an obligation.
One of Bollywood's biggest stars, Kareena said she felt compelled to speak out after "sitting with it for a few days."
"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 boys, went on to stress the importance of a fair and credible education system. She said students should never be made to feel that their hard work and determination are meaningless.
"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, efforts 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 ongoing movement led largely by Gen-Z students, Kareena said, "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 concluded by urging people to support students and stand by them, saying the country's children are closely watching how adults respond to the crisis.
"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 wrote.
Kareena is among several film personalities who have publicly backed the student movement over the past few days. The protests, which began at New Delhi's Jantar Mantar, have since spread to several cities, with demonstrations also taking place in Mumbai, Bengaluru, Patna and other parts of the country.
The CJP (Cockroach Janta Party)-led movement emerged after the NEET 2026 paper leak and has grown into a nationwide protest over repeated examination irregularities. The students have been demanding greater transparency and accountability in the examination system, along with stricter safeguards against paper leaks, broader 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 July 20, when thousands of students gathered at Jantar Mantar before clashes broke out after police stopped the procession towards Parliament.
