The government on Tuesday asserted that the new UGC regulations to check caste bias would not be “misused” and there would be no discrimination with anyone as students held protests saying these rules could lead to chaos on campuses.
Meanwhile, after the Uttar Pradesh government suspended Bareilly City Magistrate Alankar Agnihotri on charges of indiscipline following his resignation from service in protest against government policies, especially the new UGC rules, he sat on dharna at the collectorate alleging a well-planned conspiracy against him.
The new regulations mandating all higher education institutions to form “equity committees” to look into discrimination complaints and promote equity were notified on January 13.
The University Grants Commission (Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions) Regulations, 2026, mandated that these committees must include members of the Other Backward Classes (OBCs), the Scheduled Castes (SCs), the Scheduled Tribes (STs), persons with disabilities, and women.
The new regulations replaces the UGC (Promotion of Equity in Higher Educational Institutions) Regulations, 2012, which was largely advisory in nature.
Amid protests by students over these regulations in many states, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan assured there would be no discrimination with anyone, and the rules would not be “misused”.Â
“I want to humbly assure everyone, no one is going to face any harassment, there will be no discrimination and no one will have the right to misuse the regulation in the name of discrimination,” he said.Â
“Whether UGC, union or state government, they have the responsibility, I assure it will be within the ambit of the Constitution,” he said.Â
Amid heavy barricading and rain, a group of students from colleges across Delhi held a protest outside the UGC headquarters in Delhi, saying that the new regulations issued by the commission could lead to chaos on campuses.
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