Cinema VinesIn a surge of support for campus protesters, film star Jyotika took to Instagram on Saturday to call for the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The actress’s post, which was shared on July 25, 2026, echoed the demands of students who have been marching outside Jantar Mantar since June 20, citing alleged irregularities in the NEET examination, calls for a reformed exam system, and justice for those affected by leaked papers.
Jyotika’s message read: “Step down Dharmendra Pradhan. Resign. I stand with the students… I stand with accountability. I stand for a democratic India! I stand for reformed education.” She added a nod to fellow activists and students, naming Sonam Wangchuk, Abhijeet Dipke and Saurav Das, and praised the Gen Z generation for their courage. The actress concluded, “You have proved, together ‘WE’ are India. Thank you for breaking the pressure. Thank you for making us fearless. CJP. Jyotika.”
The protests, which have seen students attempt to march toward Parliament, have been met with forceful police action. Authorities have detained demonstrators and deployed security forces to disrupt the demonstrations. Despite the crackdown, the movement has attracted a wave of celebrity endorsements, including actors Alia Bhatt, Naseeruddin Shah, Ratna Pathak Shah, Shabana Azmi, Prakash Raj, Rajkummar Rao, Revathy, Tovino Thomas, filmmaker Anurag Kashyap and singer Arijit Singh.
With the student movement gaining momentum and a growing chorus of public figures calling for accountability, the call for Dharmendra Pradhan’s resignation has become a focal point of the broader debate over educational reform in India.
