Streets resounded with voices of protest
Delhiites came together to oppose exorbitant fees, social injustice, treatment of stray dogs and pollution this year
As 2025 draws to a close, the streets of Delhi, especially the iconic Jantar Mantar, continue to reverberate with voices of protest. From education and public health to stray dogs and denial of social justice, the Capital saw protests on a range of issues. The demonstrations reflected the challenges faced by the city’s residents and their increasing demand for accountability from authorities concerned.
Parents versus pvt schools
The first half of the year saw parents taking to the streets to protest against steep fee hikes by private schools. Hundreds gathered outside the Delhi Directorate of Education in April, holding placards that read, “Loot machana bandh karo” and “Schools ki manmani band karo, hamari fees kam karo.” Organised under the banner of United Parents’ Voice (UPV), the protests demanded a rollback of what they called “irregular and arbitrary” fee increases and called for intervention from the Delhi Government.
The agitation led to the government passing the Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Ordinance, 2025. It introduced a three-tier mechanism, including school-level committees, district appellate bodies and a state-level revision committee, to regulate fees and address parent grievances. However, parents continued to protest, raising objections to a provision that mandated 15 per cent parental support to initiate complaints. They termed the provision “unrealistic and obstructive.”
Dog lovers take to streets
Delhi’s stray dog population was a controversial . In August, following media reports of rising dog bites, the Supreme Court initially ordered the rounding up and relocation of stray dogs to shelters. The ruling sparked widespread protests by animal welfare groups and citizens, who judged the order as “inhumane and unscientific,” citing insufficient infrastructure and violation of Animal Birth Control (ABC) rules.
After sustained pressure, the court revised its order in November, mandating that dogs be sterilized and vaccinated, with only aggressive or rabid animals sentenced to shelters. Civic authorities were instructed to set up dedicated feeding areas, but implementation lagged. Out of 292 feeding points identified by the Delhi Municipal Corporation across 80 wards, only 14 were operational by November, highlighting execution gaps in managing the city’s stray dog population humanely.
Delhi gasps for clean air
Delhi’s perennial air pollution crisis drew renewed public attention this year. Over a hundred activists, students and residents protested at Jantar Mantar in November, demanding a parliamentary committee to address the city’s deteriorating air quality and calling for government accountability. Banners read “Dear government, breathing shouldn’t be a premium plan” and “No need to be generous, we can get our own cigarettes”.
The protesters urged authorities to protect green zones such as The Ridge, regulate vehicular and industrial emissions, and implement concrete solutions to mitigate the city’s toxic winter air. Air pollution in Delhi, already poor due to dust, vehicular emissions, and industrial pollutants, worsens in winter because of crop stubble burning in neighbouring states and low wind speeds that trap pollutants close to the ground.
Workers demand rights
Public health workers of the Delhi Municipal Corporation (MC), including Multi-Tasking Staff (MTS) and Domestic Breeding Checkers (DBCs), staged a 33-day strike from September 29 to October 31. They demanded equal pay, medical and earned leave and job regularisation. The protest drew thousands of contractual employees to the civic centre near Connaught Place. The workers highlighted their crucial role in mosquito control and the prevention of dengue, malaria and chikungunya.
After tense negotiations, the government agreed to meet their demands, including uniform pay, leave benefits and compassionate employment for families of deceased workers. The strike underscored systemic gaps in the treatment of essential public health workers, despite their vital role in safeguarding the city’s health.
Farmers’ mahapanchayat
On 25 August, hundreds of farmers gathered at Jantar Mantar for a “Kisan Mahapanchayat” organised by the Samyukt Kisan Morcha. The gathering pressed for a legal guarantee of minimum support price (MSP) for all crops and for withdrawal of police cases filed against farmers during previous farm law agitations. Farmers also demanded protection for agriculture, dairy, poultry and fisheries sectors from potential exploitation under proposed trade agreements with the US, reflecting ongoing concerns about market stability and fair pricing.
Capital demands justice
Delhi citizens also rallied for social justice causes. In December, protests erupted outside the Delhi High Court over the conditional bail of expelled BJP leader Kuldeep Singh Sengar, who was convicted in the Unnao rape case. Around the same time, hundreds gathered near Bangladesh’s High Commission to protest against the lynching of Dipu Chandra Das, a Hindu man accused of blasphemy, in Bangladesh. The protests highlighted Delhi residents’ engagement with human rights issues both within and beyond India.
