Around 300 people gathered at Connaught Place’s outer circle in New Delhi on Sunday, August 23, under the banner of the Reservation Hatao Andolan, demanding changes to India’s existing caste-based reservation system. Delhi Police detained more than 20 protesters, saying the gathering had not been permitted, and cleared the area.
The protesters called for greater weight to be given to economic disadvantage, a review of reservation policies covering Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST) and Other Backward Classes (OBCs), and a creamy-layer criterion.
They also raised concerns about the University Grants Commission (UGC) framework and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The demonstration followed a Jantar Mantar protest on August 21, where several protesters were detained after refusing to move to the Ramlila Ground, where police had permitted a gathering of up to 500 people.
The movement, which has built a following of around 5.6 million on Instagram, has argued that government support should reach economically disadvantaged people across communities.
On Saturday, the group also claimed that the Centre had agreed to hold discussions with its representatives, although no independent confirmation of a specific ministerial meeting was immediately available.
Protesters Demand Reservation Reforms
The Sunday gathering brought the reservation debate into one of Delhi’s busiest commercial districts, with protesters carrying placards and raising slogans seeking changes to the existing quota framework. Police said the demonstration at Connaught Place had not received permission, prompting officers to detain more than 20 people and remove them from the site. A police presence was maintained as the gathering was dispersed.
The protesters said their objective was not simply to oppose reservation but to seek what they described as a fairer system. A key demand was that economic circumstances should receive greater consideration when determining eligibility for government support. Participants argued that poverty can affect people across caste groups and that assistance should reach those facing genuine financial hardship.
“We are not against reservation. We want reforms in reservation,” one protester said, according to reports. Another participant called for the existing system to be reviewed so that its benefits reach those who genuinely need them.
The demand for a creamy-layer criterion was another major focus. Protesters argued that relatively better-off sections should not continue receiving benefits indefinitely while poorer people, including those outside reserved categories, struggle with access to education and employment. They also called for a review of policies affecting SCs, STs and OBCs, alongside changes to higher-education policies and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
The demands have also been articulated by prominent voices associated with the mobilisation. At the earlier Jantar Mantar protest, YouTuber Ajeet Bharti called for a government white paper examining the impact of reservation over the past eight decades.
He also raised demands including “quota within quota”, minimum qualifying marks for higher-education admissions and stronger implementation of benefits for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS).
From Instagram To Delhi Streets
Sunday’s gathering was the latest development in a campaign that has grown rapidly through social media. The Reservation Hatao Andolan Instagram account has amassed around 5.6 million followers, making it one of the largest recent issue-based mobilisation pages on the platform. The campaign describes itself as citizen-backed and has presented reservation reform as its central concern.
The online campaign moved into physical protests in Delhi on August 21, when hundreds of supporters gathered at Jantar Mantar. Delhi Police had said beforehand that no permission had been granted for a protest at the site and that prohibitory restrictions were in force.
Police subsequently issued a no-objection certificate for a peaceful demonstration at Ramlila Ground, permitting up to 500 people until 4pm. Protesters nevertheless remained at Jantar Mantar, leading to police intervention and several detentions.
The events have highlighted the practical challenges of organising large demonstrations through social-media campaigns. Delhi Police has urged people not to rely on unverified online claims about permissions and protest venues. At the same time, the movement has continued to mobilise supporters and broaden its demands.
On Saturday, the campaign claimed that the Centre had agreed to discuss its demands and that a Union minister would personally meet its representatives. The claim was circulated by the movement itself; reports did not provide independent confirmation of the proposed meeting or identify a minister who had publicly confirmed it. The group said the movement would continue despite the reported willingness for dialogue.
The growing mobilisation has reopened a difficult national conversation. Reservation in India is not solely an economic welfare measure; it is also linked to historical social exclusion, caste discrimination and the under-representation of disadvantaged communities.
At the same time, questions about whether benefits reach the most disadvantaged people within reserved categories have been part of policy and legal debates for years. The creamy-layer question, particularly in relation to different reserved categories, remains legally and politically complex.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
The protest reflects a legitimate democratic right to question public policy, but conversations around reservation require care because they touch both present-day inequality and generations of social discrimination.
Economic hardship deserves serious attention, and policymakers should continually examine whether public support is reaching those who need it most. At the same time, any reform debate must recognise why affirmative action exists and avoid framing communities against one another. The way forward should be evidence-led, transparent and rooted in dialogue rather than hostility, with space for concerns from both supporters and critics of the present system.
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