How it
all started
A movement born out of a belief in equality, merit and justice. Here is the story of how Youth For Equality began and grew into a nationwide movement.
YFE’s agenda is dismantling all forms of reservation through gradual reformation and upholding meritocracy.
Exclusions of all Muslims & Christians from OBC/ST lists.
Periodic review of reservation lists once in 5 years.
Stringent creamy layer implementation to exclude better-off.
All welfare schemes & scholarships caste neutral.
The Beginning
April 5, 2006
HRD minister Arjun Singh proposes 27% reservation for OBCs in central universities, sparking widespread anger.
April 26, 2006
Students at UCMS met at the hostel, pondered the situation, and decided to create a forum named ‘Youth for Equality’.
May 2, 2006
A huge march from MAMC to Parliament Street was launched, joined by students from Delhi University and the public.
May 19, 2006
Under pressure from countrywide agitations, the Government agreed to talks with YFE representatives to present their demands.
Demonstration at INDIA GATE (27th April 2006)
HRD minister invites our representatives to talk. 5 representatives meet him. The minister delays his comments till state elections are over. The strike by students continues, though Interns and residents return to duties.
Press conference at AIIMS (28th April 2006)
Press conference at AIIMS on behalf of Youth for Equality. Youth for Equality appeals to all colleges in India to have peaceful protests in their respective cities, and support the cause.
Huge March to Parliament Street (2nd May 2006)
A HUGE MARCH from MAMC to Parliament Street. Students from engineering colleges, Delhi University, I.P. University, school students and even general public joined us in our protest. A signature campaign was launched on a 50 metre long paper roll which was spread out on parliament street.
March from LHMC to India Gate (12th May 2006)
Close to a thousand students gathered at LHMC to continue protests. After the HRD Minister refused to comment, students spontaneously marched, blocked Connaught Place, dodged police/RAF, and ran 12 km to reach Rajpath to wait for a government reply.
Mumbai Protest & Police Action (13th May 2006)
Peacefully protesting students in Mumbai were beaten up by the police. The government displayed total apathy toward the issue, leaving students deeply anguished as they had yet to receive a response from the authorities.
Medicos Strike (13th May 2006)
Medical professionals and students across the region formally went on strike under the banner of "Youth for Equality" to intensify the protest against the reservation policy.
Indefinite Strike & Hunger Strike (14th May 2006)
Resident Doctors Associations of Delhi announced an indefinite strike, supported by IMA's Delhi and Mumbai chapters. Simultaneously, medical students at AIIMS launched an indefinite hunger strike, later joined by IIT and DU students as the movement gained strength nationwide.
Government Talks with YFE (19th May 2006)
Under pressure from countrywide agitations, the Government agreed to talks with YFE representatives. A committee comprising senior ministers Pranab Mukherjee, P. Chidambaram, and Arjun Singh, followed by Dr. Manmohan Singh, met with YFE representatives to review the submitted Charter of Demands.
Assurance from Defense Minister (22nd May 2006)
The Defense Minister officially assured that general category seats would not be reduced, with quotas implemented only in a phased manner as seats increase. However, the government declined to address the main demand for an expert commission to review the overall reservation policy.
UPA Government Press Release (23rd May 2006)
Following a meeting with Left parties, the UPA government issued a press release stating that 27% OBC reservation would be implemented in one go from the 2007 session. It announced an Oversight Committee for implementation but failed to address the demand for a comprehensive review of the reservation policy.
PM Assurances & Government Letter (26th May 2006)
The PM verbally assured that general category seats would not be reduced and OBC reservation would only be implemented alongside an increase in total seats. However, a later unsigned letter from the Health Secretary failed to address any of the students' core demands, including the formation of an expert commission.
HRD Minister's Announcement & Ram Leela Maidan Rally (27th May 2006)
Ignoring the PM's assurances, the HRD Minister announced OBC reservation implementation from 2007 without a graded approach and rejected the expert commission. Meanwhile, a massive rally at Ram Leela Maidan, Delhi, saw nationwide organizations uniting to support the fight against caste-based reservations.
Rejection of Government Assurances (28th May 2006)
The government offered vague assurances regarding student demands via an unsigned paper from the Health Secretary but refused to drop the reservation proposal. Feeling betrayed by the UPA government's deceptive approach, the student community rejected these assurances, bringing the talks to a dead end.
Supreme Court Intervention (29th May 2006)
The Supreme Court intervened, directing medicos to call off their strike. Simultaneously, the Court questioned the Government on the basis for determining "Other Backward Class" status and the specific modalities to be adopted for implementing the proposed reservation policy.