India's NIT exam paper leak protest gains support from Sachin Tendulkar and opposition leaders

Students at the National Institute of Technology (NIT) staged protests after a question‑paper leak, demanding accountability and better safeguards for their future. During the demonstrations, security forces used pellet guns, injuring at least one student whose eye was severely damaged. Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi called the education minister Dharamendra Pradhan a "criminal" and urged his immediate removal, also demanding a public apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the violence.

Cricket great Sachin Tendulkar, along with teammates Shubman Gill, Yuvraj Singh and other athletes, expressed solidarity with the students, urging that hard work be rewarded and the education system be strengthened. Their statements emphasized respect for youth aspirations and called for a society that values merit over shortcuts.