[In his letter, PCS officer Alankar Agnihotri stated that his decision was prompted by two key issues –
the implementation of the new UGC regulations and the incident during the Mauni Amavasya bath
at the Prayagraj Magh Mela. (Sourced)(HT_PRINT)]
The newly issued UGC regulations aim to address caste-based discrimination in higher education, but have ignited protests and resignations. Critics argue that the guidelines lack clarity and could lead to misuse.
The Union government has asserted that the now-controversial UGC regulations would not be ‘misused’ and would not lead to discrimination, despite students holding protests claiming they could lead to campus chaos.
This came after the new regulations sparked a row with a BJP Mahila Morcha office bearer in Uttar Pradesh resigning from her post, saying she was hurt by the decision to implement the rules.
Amid protests by students over these regulations in many states, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan assured on Tuesday that there would be no discrimination against anyone, and the rules would not be “misused”.
“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.
“Whether UGC, union or state government, they have the responsibility, I assure it will be within the ambit of the Constitution,” he said.
In a letter addressed to the party’s Firozabad district unit chief, BJP Mahila Morcha office bearer Uday Pratap Singh, Shashi Tomar said she does not endorse the Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions Regulations, 2026 of the University Grants Commission (UGC).
In a related development, suspended Bareilly City Magistrate Alankar Agnihotri sat on a dharna alleging a well-planned conspiracy against him. The Uttar Pradesh government had suspended him on Monday on charges of indiscipline following his resignation from service in protest against government policies, especially the new UGC rules.
After his suspension, Agnihotri was attached to the office of the Shamli district magistrate, according to an order issued on Monday night.
What are the new UGC regulations?
The University Grants Commission (UGC) has issued new guidelines that expand the regulator’s earlier anti-discrimination framework, significantly widening the scope of those who can seek protection under the rules.
The new regulations replace the UGC (Promotion of Equity in Higher Educational Institutions) Regulations, 2012, which were largely advisory in nature.
According to the 2026 regulations, which were tweaked from the 2012 norms, the guidelines explicitly bring Other Backward Classes (OBCs) within the ambit of discrimination alongside Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, a move that has triggered sharp reactions across campuses and political circles.
The new regulations mandating that all higher education institutions form “equity committees” to investigate discrimination complaints and promote equity were notified on 13 January.
The regulations also 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.
Please in Supreme Court
Left-backed student group All India Students’ Association released a statement backing the UGC Equity Regulations, 2026. It said that inclusion of OBCs (other backward castes) within the ambit of equity protection was a welcome step.
“However, representation of SC, ST, OBC and women in the Equity Committee, both among faculties and students, remains low, vague and inadequately defined. Further, the regulations define discrimination in broad and abstract terms without enumerating concrete acts or instances of discrimination,” the statement read.
A plea was also filed in the Supreme Court challenging the regulations, alleging the UGC has adopted a non-inclusionary definition of caste-based discrimination and excludes certain categories from institutional protection.
It urged the top court to restrain the authorities from enforcing the regulations in their current form and to direct them to redefine caste-based discrimination in a “caste-neutral and constitutionally-compliant manner”.
The UGC document was issued after the Supreme Court asked it to submit the new regulations during a hearing on a plea by the mothers of Rohith Vemula and Payal Tadvi, questioning the implementation of the 2012 UGC regulations.
Vemula, a PhD scholar at the University of Hyderabad, committed suicide in 2016, allegedly after being subjected to caste-based harassment. Tadvi, a resident doctor at Topiwala National Medical College and BYL Nair Hospital, killed herself in 2019, allegedly after facing casteist slurs from her seniors.