The decade students redrew India’s democratic map

Between 2015 and 2025, India witnessed a remarkable surge of student-led agitations that fundamentally altered national conversations on democracy, justice and citizenship. No longer confined to classrooms or campus corridors, young people emerged as architects of public debate — assertive, ethical and unafraid to question authority. Their movements did not merely reflect discontent; they shaped the moral and political trajectory of the nation. For any civil services aspirant, this decade offers essential insights into how youth-driven civic engagement strengthens democratic institutions.

The spark: Artistic freedom and institutional autonomy

FTII, 2015: A strike that echoed nationwide

The decade opened with the Film and Television Institute of India’s historic agitation against politically influenced appointments. What appeared to be a campus-specific tussle soon expanded into a national dialogue on academic autonomy. Students insisted that institutions of higher learning must remain independent spaces that foster creativity and dissent. Their insistence set the tone for years to come, students would not accept intrusive state control over knowledge systems.

A cry for justice: Rohith Vemula & the fight against discrimination

From personal tragedy to collective reckoning

The death of Rohith Vemula in 2016 shook the country’s conscience. His moving final letter exposed the lived realities of caste discrimination on campuses. Thousands of students across India mobilised in solidarity, transforming grief into a powerful call for inclusion, dignity, and institutional reform. This moment marked a crucial shift, social justice became the moral centre of student politics.

 Defending dissent: The JNU flashpoint

Nationalism, freedom & the university as a democratic space

The storm at Jawaharlal Nehru University soon followed, pushing questions of nationalism and dissent to the heart of public debate. The arrests of student leaders, media trials and police presence on campus forced India to confront uncomfortable questions: Is disagreement anti-national? Are universities spaces for dialogue or compliance? Students responded with intellectual vigils, lectures in the open and peaceful marches, reminding the nation that democracy thrives on questioning, not conformity.

The NEET movement: Equity, federalism & regional identity

Tamil Nadu’s youth rise for fair access

In Tamil Nadu, students fought a multi-year battle against NEET, arguing that a uniform exam disadvantaged rural and state-board students. The heartbreaking story of S Anitha became a symbol of structural inequality. Beyond medical admissions, the movement reflected deeper anxieties about federalism, regional rights and the promise of equal opportunity.

The battle for affordability: JNU’s fee hike protests

Public education & the threat of privatisation

Another phase of unrest unfolded at JNU when steep fee hikes threatened to exclude economically weaker students. This agitation sparked nationwide deliberation on public education — its purpose, its accessibility and the creeping influence of market forces. Students defended the idea of universities as egalitarian spaces that must not become luxuries for the privileged.

 The Constitutional uprising: Anti-CAA-NRC protests

Youth as custodians of the republic

Perhaps the most defining movement of the decade emerged during the anti-CAA-NRC protests. Students across the country read the Preamble in public spaces, built art installations, and formed unprecedented coalitions across religion, caste, and region. Jamia, AMU and Shaheen Bagh turned into global symbols of peaceful, constitutional resistance — led prominently by young women. The message was unmistakable: India’s youth would defend the Constitution even at personal cost.

The pandemic shift: Digital divide and educational inequality

Online learning exposes deep fault lines

Covid-19 brought a new dimension to student activism. With education moving online, inequalities in digital access erupted as a national crisis. Students from Kashmir, the Northeast, tribal regions and remote rural areas highlighted the impossibility of online learning without devices or stable internet. Their petitions and protests forced governments and institutions to re-evaluate digital inclusion as an educational imperative.

Kashmir’s youth: Learning amid shutdowns

Education in a conflict zone

In Kashmir, repeated internet restrictions and curfews created extraordinary barriers to learning. The mobilisations led by students were not merely about connectivity, they were appeals for normalcy, dignity and recognition of the psychological toll borne by young people in conflict-affected regions.

The exam agitations: Unemployment & eroding trust

Millions rise against recruitment irregularities

Beyond campuses, aspirants preparing for SSC, RRB, NTPC and state-level recruitment exams staged massive protests against paper leaks, delays and cancellations. Their agitation revealed a deeper structural crisis — shrinking secure jobs and plummeting faith in public recruitment processes. For many, this was a struggle for dignity and stability, not just exam results.

Reclaiming a legacy: Panjab University’s federal structure movement

 Students & faculty safeguard democratic traditions

Toward the decade’s end, Panjab University saw a significant mobilisation to protect its democratic, elected Senate. Students held prolonged vigils and dialogues, insisting on transparency and respect for regional history. The eventual rollback of the proposal highlighted the effectiveness of patient, peaceful mobilisation.

The generation that rewrote India’s civic grammar

The decade from 2015 to 2025 stands as a testament to the power of student action. These movements were not driven by narrow demands but by larger moral questions — equality, dignity, identity, representation and constitutional fidelity. They exposed institutional weaknesses, confronted authoritarian impulses and kept alive the democratic spirit at a time of polarisation. For today’s civil services aspirants, the lesson is clear: youth are not mere stakeholders; they are catalysts of national renewal. Their courage, clarity and refusal to be silent reshaped India and their legacy will continue to guide the nation’s democratic journey.

The writer is former Vice Chancellor of Rayat and Bahra University