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Sachin Tendulkar on NEET-UG protest: ‘Uphold honesty, hard work’

Rahul Kumar | July 24, 2026 2:22 AM CST

Amid youth-led protests over the alleged NEET-UG 2026 paper leak, Sachin Tendulkar urged society to uphold honesty and merit. Recalling his father's words, 'failure is okay, cheating is not,' he called for a culture that rewards hard work.

Legendary Sachin Tendulkar urged society to uphold honesty, hard work and merit amid the ongoing youth-led Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protests in Delhi demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the alleged NEET-UG 2026 paper leak.In a post on X, recalling his father's lesson that "failure is okay, cheating is not," Tendulkar on Thursday said students' disappointment over their hard work not being rewarded is understandable. He called on parents, teachers, schools, administrators and society to create an environment where integrity is encouraged, merit is rewarded, and young people remain motivated to pursue their aspirations."My father was a professor. He was a mentor and guide to many young students. One lesson that he instilled early on was, 'Failure is okay, cheating is not. Never take shortcuts.' As adults in society, we have the responsibility of shaping culture. A society which prioritises outcomes over effort will seek shortcuts over meritocracy. Today, when students feel disappointed that their hard work hasn't been rewarded, it is understandable," Tendulkar said in a post."Collectively, we should all work together towards ensuring they don't feel this way again. Young India is full of dreams and energy. They are the fuel to our success. As a society, all of us, including parents, teachers, friends, relatives, schools, and administrators, have a massive responsibility and different roles to play in ensuring our youth remain encouraged and energised," he added.Tendulkar called for a culture that rewards hard work, promotes honesty, and ensures merit is recognised, expressing confidence in finding solutions to secure the future and aspirations of young people. He said, "We must create a culture where hard work is rewarded, honesty is encouraged, and merit wins. I am certain we will all find solutions that strengthen our children's future and safeguard their aspirations. Jai Hind!" pic.twitter.com/3a8WRHhWIK — Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) July 23, 2026

Protest turns violent

On July 20, during the Cockroach Janta Party- led 'Sansad Chalo' protest, hundreds of protesters, including students, attempted to breach barricades to march toward the high-security Parliament. Over 100 protesters and 118 police personnel were reportedly injured during the protest.

PIL in Delhi HC

Meanwhile, the Delhi High Court on Thursday agreed to hear on Friday a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking a National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe into the July 20 'Sansad Chalo' protest called by the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) demanding the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the alleged NEET paper leak.According to the petition, protests over the alleged paper leak began at Jantar Mantar on June 6 and culminated in the July 20 march. The plea seeks the transfer of all FIRs related to the incident to a specialised investigating agency and action against those allegedly involved in the violence.The petition alleges that the protest turned violent, leading to stone-pelting, injuries to police personnel, attacks on journalists, damage to public and private property, obstruction of emergency services and attempts to move towards Parliament House. (ANI)(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)