Actor-politician Kamal Haasan on 23 July posted a sharp rebuke of India's education system on X (formerly Twitter), declaring that a nation has failed when its children are confronted with 'barricades and batons instead of answers.' His remarks came amid widening protests over the NEET-UG paper leak and mounting calls for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

What Kamal Haasan Said

In his post, Haasan wrote: 'We should have listened when one child cried. Instead, we waited until far too many of our children died.' He went further, arguing that 'a system where coaching replaces learning, anxiety replaces curiosity, and criminality replaces merit is rotten.'

Haasan also addressed climate activist Sonam Wangchuk directly, urging him to end his ongoing hunger strike: '@Wangchuk66, the nation will need your conscience for the journey ahead. Please end your fast.' He closed with a message to students: 'To the children of India: You are the best of us. You have done your duty. It is now time for the country to do its duty by you.'

Protests at Jantar Mantar

Thousands of demonstrators, including students and members of the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), marched from Jantar Mantar towards Parliament on Thursday, demanding accountability over recurring examination irregularities. Opposition leaders and activists joined the march, collectively calling for Pradhan's resignation.

The CJP stated it would not negotiate on its core demand — the education minister's exit — and insisted that if the Centre wished to engage, any dialogue must take place at the protest site itself.

Wangchuk's Hunger Strike

Sonam Wangchuk, currently admitted at Medanta Hospital in Gurugram, entered the 26th day of his hunger strike on Thursday. A day earlier, he had indicated he would end his fast if the Centre provided assurances that no punitive action would be taken against the protesters.

The Broader Education Crisis

The NEET-UG paper leak has emerged as a flashpoint for long-simmering discontent over India's high-stakes examination ecosystem — one critics argue prioritises rote coaching over genuine learning. This is not the first time systemic failures in competitive examinations have triggered street protests, but the scale and cross-party nature of the current demonstrations signal deepening public frustration. Haasan's intervention adds a prominent cultural voice to what is fast becoming a national accountability moment for the education establishment.

With the Centre yet to formally respond to the protest coalition's demands, the standoff at Jantar Mantar is expected to intensify in the days ahead.