Manushi Chhillar supports NEET students; recalls giving exam twice after paper leak

After several celebrities weighed in on the ongoing NEET-UG 2026 paper leak controversy, actor and former Miss World Manushi Chhillar has extended her support to protesting students. Travelling back to her time, Chhillar recalled her own experience of having to appear for the medical entrance exam twice after a paper leak disrupted the process and spoke up about the bravery of the students fighting for the right to education.

Manushi Chhillar recalls giving NEET exam twice

Speaking to Hindustan Times, Manushi Chhillar shared her experience of giving the exam twice amid outrage over the NEET-UG 2026 paper leak. Chhillar said, “I remember the uncertainty more than anything else. You prepare for years believing that the exam day is the finish line, and then suddenly you’re told that it isn’t. It’s not just about writing another paper. It’s about reliving months of anxiety, postponing plans, and staying mentally prepared all over again.”

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The Samrat Prithviraj actor shed light on the effort a student puts in to appear for competitive exams, calling it a big sacrifice for them as well as their family. "I gave JEE (Joint Entrance Examination) Mains in April after my board exams, NEET, which was then called AIPMT (All India Pre-Medical Test), in May and decided not to appear for JEE Advanced because I was very clear I wanted to do medicine. Having seen my sister clear CLAT, I was prepared. While we still had the privilege to choose between these few fields, most students don’t. NEET represents a platform for most to better their lives, and you feel responsible not just for yourself, but for the hopes of everyone around you. Most students are exhausted by the end of it," she said.

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Speaking about the youth fighting for the right to education, Chhillar said, "Every generation has a responsibility to ask for better systems than the ones they inherited. Speaking up for fairness is about protecting trust in institutions. I don’t think it’s productive to compare generations or ask whether it should have happened sooner. What’s important is that conversations are happening now."

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Manushi Chhillar voices students' protest

On July 23 (Thursday), Chhillar took to Instagram to extend her support and show solidarity to protesting students. The actor shared a post that read, “I have always believed that in an unfair world, education becomes the biggest equaliser. Anyone who is saying “just write it again” is missing the point. We have to have sensitivity. I’ve written it twice in 2015 due to a paper leak then as well. It is not just an exam; it represents years of hard work, sleepless nights, sacrifices and aspirations. We then accepted the failure in our system and made peace with the solution provided. Now, a decade later, we expect change."

About Manushi Chhillar

Manushi Chhillar is an Indian actor, model, and the winner of the Miss World 2017 pageant. With the prestigious title, Chhillar became the sixth Indian woman to win Miss World and has since transitioned into a career in Bollywood.

She has appeared in several projects, such as Samrat Prithviraj and Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, and has continued to expand her film career.