Sachin Tendulkar backs students protesting NEET paper leak

Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar has voiced support for students protesting alleged examination paper leaks, calling their disappointment understandable and urging society to prioritize integrity and merit. Tendulkar made the comments in a social media post on Thursday, July 23, 2026, as demonstrations demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan continued in New Delhi and spread to other states.

The protests, primarily led by a group called the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), stem from the alleged leak of the NEET-UG 2026 examination paper, which led to a nationwide retest. Protesters hold Pradhan responsible for the leak, which has been linked by reports to multiple student suicides. The CJP's agitation has included a sit-in at Jantar Mantar and a march toward Parliament on January 20, an event that reportedly turned violent, resulting in injuries to over 100 protesters and 118 police personnel.

In his post, Tendulkar recalled a lesson from his late father, a professor. "Failure is okay, cheating is not. Never take shortcuts," he wrote. He argued that a society focused solely on outcomes encourages shortcuts over meritocracy. "Today, when...