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The University Grants Commission (UGC)’s caller regulations connected the promotion of equity successful higher acquisition campuses triggered protests successful Uttar Pradesh connected Tuesday (January 27, 2026), with a conception of students demonstrating astatine Lucknow University against the rules, alleging they would impact their studies and future.
The protesting students staged a sit-in astatine the university’s main gross and raised slogans against the UGC, claiming the University Grants Commission (Promotion of Equity successful Higher Education Institutions) Regulations, 2026 could pb to caste struggle and disrupt societal harmony connected campuses. “We request that the UGC reconsider the model and initiate a wider, inclusive dialog earlier enforcing the caller rules. These rules disturb the societal balance,” said Anmol Singh, an LLB student, portion speaking to section media.
Dissent wrong BJP
The contented has sparked dissent wrong the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), with a fewer section leaders expressing choler implicit the regulations and resigning from enactment posts. Mrigendra Upadhyay, a BJP person from Balrampur, said specified rules would adversely interaction precocious caste students and represent them arsenic culprits successful lawsuit of complaints filed nether the caller framework.
“We request beardown precocious caste leaders to combat for our rights and rise our dependable against favoritism successful immoderate form,” helium said. A fewer BJP leaders holding posts successful territory organisational units of Lucknow besides resigned successful protest. Earlier, Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council subordinate and BJP person Devendra Pratap Singh besides questioned the regulations and called for a broader discussion.
PCS serviceman suspended
In a related development, the State Government connected January 26 suspended Bareilly City Magistrate and Provincial Civil Service (PCS) serviceman Alankar Agnihotri aft helium submitted his resignation from service, questioning authorities policies, including the UGC guidelines.
According to an bid issued by the State Government connected January 26, Mr. Agnihotri, a 2019-batch UPPSC officer, was recovered prima facie blameworthy of indiscipline based connected a study submitted by the Bareilly District Magistrate. “Acting nether Rule 4 and Rule 7 of the Uttar Pradesh Government Servants (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1999, the authorities enactment the 2019-batch serviceman nether contiguous suspension and appointed the commissioner, Bareilly division, arsenic the enquiry serviceman to behaviour a elaborate probe,” the bid said.
Mr. Agnihotri had submitted his resignation connected January 26, citing heavy disagreement with authorities policies, including the caller UGC regulations, which helium described arsenic a ‘black law’. Speaking with reporters connected Monday, helium alleged the UGC provisions were discriminatory and could pb to societal unrest connected campuses. He besides alleged that an “anti-Brahmin campaign” was underway successful Uttar Pradesh and that members of the assemblage were being selectively targeted. The serviceman sent his resignation by email to the Uttar Pradesh Governor and Bareilly District Magistrate Avinash Singh. He besides pointed to a caller spiritual contention successful Prayagraj, questioning the relation of administrative authorities.
A nonmigratory of Kanpur Nagar, Mr. Agnihotri has earlier served arsenic sub-divisional magistrate successful districts including Unnao, Balrampur and Lucknow, and was known successful administrative circles for his forthright views and strict enactment style.
Political reactions
Reacting to the episode, elder BJP person and Rajya Sabha MP Dinesh Sharma said specified officers person often appeared politically motivated. “I neither cognize him nor person I heard astir him. There are galore radical who odor politics, and past specified radical commencement uncovering excuses to bash politics,” said Mr. Sharma, a erstwhile Deputy Chief Minister.
Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai accused the BJP of attempting to disagreement nine done the caller UGC rules. “The BJP earlier resorted to Hindu-Muslim polarisation to fell their failure, and present trying to disagreement radical done the UGC framework. I judge they (the BJP-led government) are astir to spell now; they are successful their last stages... For the Congress, everyone is united... The strategy that existed during our tenure should beryllium implemented much firmly.”
