Sonakshi Sinha salutes Gen Z after Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation
Synopsis
Sonakshi Sinha's viral Instagram Reel — 'I am an artist bro, but Gen Z is the art' — captured a rare celebrity moment of unscripted solidarity with students whose weeks-long protest over the NEET-UG paper leak forced Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to resign on 25 July. Pralhad Joshi steps in as his successor.
Key Takeaways
Sonakshi Sinha posted an Instagram Reel on 25 July saluting Gen Z for driving the student protest movement.
Dharmendra Pradhan resigned as Union Education Minister on 25 July amid sustained protests over alleged NEET-UG paper leak irregularities.
Pralhad Joshi has been appointed as the new Union Education Minister .
Delhi Police cracked down on protesters at Jantar Mantar on 20 July , drawing nationwide outrage and widening the movement.
Activist Sonam Wangchuk was forcibly removed from the protest site on 18 July after 21 days of an indefinite hunger strike; he was subsequently hospitalised.
Bollywood actress Sonakshi Sinha on Saturday, 25 July took to Instagram to publicly salute Gen Z, crediting the generation's sustained student movement with forcing the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan as Union Minister of Education. Her Reel, posted the same day Pradhan stepped down, quickly drew widespread attention online.
What Sonakshi Said
In the video, Sinha was visibly moved as she addressed the student community directly. 'You have no idea what you have done today. I am an artist bro, but Gen Z is the art. I know I have taken you to so many places. But what is this? We get married, get tired, nothing happens. For that. Never again,' she said.
She went on to add, 'Salute. Salute. Look at me now. I want to be you. I want to be Gen Z. What the hell is that? Salute.' The candid, unscripted tone of the video resonated widely, with the clip being widely shared across social media platforms.
The Movement That Sparked the Moment
Dharmendra Pradhan resigned on Saturday, 25 July following weeks of mass student protests centred on alleged irregularities in competitive examinations — most prominently the NEET-UG paper leak. The protests, initially concentrated at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, gradually spread from metro cities to smaller towns across the country.
The movement gained fresh momentum after Delhi Police carried out a crackdown on demonstrators at Jantar Mantar on 20 July, which critics described as a brutal assault on peaceful protesters. The incident drew widespread public outrage, swelling the ranks of demonstrators.
Sonam Wangchuk's Role
Climate activist and innovator Sonam Wangchuk had been on an indefinite hunger strike at Jantar Mantar for 21 days, demanding Pradhan's resignation over alleged exam irregularities. In the early hours of 18 July, Delhi Police forcibly removed him from the protest site. Authorities subsequently shifted him to a hospital, citing deteriorating health, medical advice, and compliance with a Delhi High Court order.
His removal intensified public anger and is widely seen as a turning point that broadened the movement beyond students to ordinary citizens.
What Comes Next
Pralhad Joshi has been named as Pradhan's replacement, taking charge as the new Union Education Minister. The student community and opposition parties are expected to closely watch whether the change in leadership translates into concrete action on exam reform and accountability for the alleged NEET-UG irregularities. Sinha's viral tribute reflects a broader cultural moment — one where public figures are openly aligning with youth-led civic action.
Point of View
Not just a celebrity post — it signals that the NEET-UG protest has crossed the threshold from student grievance to mainstream public sentiment. What mainstream coverage underplays is how the Delhi Police crackdown on 20 July and Sonam Wangchuk's forcible removal on 18 July were the actual inflection points that transformed a sectoral exam dispute into a broad civic uprising. Pradhan's exit is a political concession, but the structural question — who is accountable for the alleged paper leak and what reforms follow — remains unanswered. Pralhad Joshi inherits both the ministry and that accountability deficit.
NationPress
25 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Sonakshi Sinha praise Gen Z?
Sonakshi Sinha praised Gen Z in an Instagram Reel posted on 25 July, crediting the generation's student-led protest movement with forcing the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over alleged NEET-UG exam irregularities. She called Gen Z 'the art' in an unscripted tribute.
Why did Dharmendra Pradhan resign?
Dharmendra Pradhan resigned as Union Education Minister on 25 July following weeks of large-scale student protests demanding accountability for alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG examination, including a reported paper leak. The protests intensified after a police crackdown on demonstrators at Jantar Mantar on 20 July.
Who replaced Dharmendra Pradhan as Education Minister?
Pralhad Joshi has been appointed as the new Union Education Minister, succeeding Dharmendra Pradhan following his resignation on 25 July.
What role did Sonam Wangchuk play in the protests?
Sonam Wangchuk undertook a 21-day indefinite hunger strike at Jantar Mantar, demanding Pradhan's resignation over alleged exam irregularities. Delhi Police forcibly removed him from the protest site in the early hours of 18 July and shifted him to a hospital, citing deteriorating health and a Delhi High Court order. His removal is widely seen as a key moment that escalated public anger and broadened the movement.
What were the NEET-UG protests about?
The protests centred on alleged irregularities in the NEET-UG medical entrance examination, including a reported paper leak. Students demanded accountability and the resignation of the Union Education Minister. The movement spread from Delhi to metro cities and smaller towns before Pradhan stepped down on 25 July.
