During ongoing debates and protests over caste-based quotas, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat stated on Thursday that reservations aim to achieve social equality and should remain in place as long as inequality continues. He suggested that individuals who have already benefited from the system should voluntarily step aside to allow others from their communities to gain access. Bhagwat made these remarks while speaking with IIMUN founder Rishabh Shah before an audience of about 2,000 young people at the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre in Mumbai. Questions from school students and youth were posed during the session. He recommended examining the issue through the perspective of B.R. Ambedkar, noting that quotas address social discrimination and will persist while such conditions remain. The comments come amid protests by the Cockroach Janata Party and other groups over issues like the NEET-UG paper leak and related pressures on students. Bhagwat supported sub-categorisation within reserved groups to ensure benefits reach all eligible members and urged that implementation stay free from political influence. He observed that sincere welfare efforts could reduce the need for reservations over time. Protests demanding reviews or changes to quota policies have occurred in several states including Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh, with some groups calling for income-based criteria or periodic assessments.
