India, July 25 -- The money was supposed to buy an iPad before college. She had been collecting it since her 16th birthday, asking parents, grandparents, and relatives to contribute each year, setting it aside carefully, imagining the day she would unbox it as a proper beginning to her student years. When the protests started at Jantar Mantar, the 18-year-old from Jaipur thought about it for one day. Then she took the '15,000 and came to Delhi. "I thought I could always save for an iPad again," she said. "But I may not get another chance to stand up for something that will affect my future."

She is using the birthday money for food, travel, and daily expenses while staying with a friend in the city so she can attend the demonstrations. "...