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Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan connected Tuesday (January 27, 2026) sought to allay concerns implicit the caller 2026 University Grants Commission regulations connected promoting equity successful higher acquisition institutions, amid protests and allegations that the rules discriminate against “general category” students.
Speaking to reporters successful Rajasthan, Mr. Pradhan said the regulations had been notified nether the supervision of the Supreme Court and assured that “there volition beryllium nary discrimination” and that “no 1 volition person the close to misuse thing successful the sanction of discrimination”.
His remarks came against the backdrop of protests against the UGC regulations successful cities similar Lucknow, Indore, and New Delhi, with much demonstrations planned successful the coming days, and aggregate petitions filed successful the Supreme Court challenging the framework.
The caller regulations, notified connected January 13, specify “caste-based discrimination” arsenic favoritism connected the ground of caste oregon people against those belonging to the Scheduled Castes, the Scheduled Tribes, and the Other Backward Classes. The last mentation besides drops a proviso projected successful an earlier draught to penalise mendacious complaints.
Critics of the regulations person argued that by not recognising students from the “general category” arsenic imaginable victims of caste-based discrimination, the explanation itself is discriminatory. They person besides flagged the lack of immoderate mechanics to enactment against complaints believed to beryllium false.
Addressing reporters successful Rajasthan’s Didwana, Mr. Pradhan said, “I privation to guarantee everyone that nary 1 volition beryllium taxable to harassment and determination volition beryllium nary discrimination. No 1 volition person the close to misuse thing successful the sanction of discrimination.”
He added that whether it was the UGC, the national authorities oregon immoderate State governments, it volition beryllium their work to guarantee just implementation. “I guarantee you that immoderate strategy oregon statement is made successful India volition beryllium wrong the model of the Constitution. No injustice, oppression, oregon favoritism volition beryllium committed against anyone,” helium said.
On Tuesday (January 27, 2026), students protested against the regulations extracurricular Lucknow University and successful parts of Bareilly successful Uttar Pradesh, successful Indore successful Madhya Pradesh, and extracurricular the UGC bureau successful New Delhi. Students from Delhi University person besides called for a protestation successful beforehand of the varsity’s Arts Faculty gathering connected Wednesday (January 28, 2026).
The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, the BJP’s pupil wing, connected Tuesday (January 26, 2026) besides issued a statement, saying that portion the caller regulations were “well-intentioned”, they required “clarity and balance”. This connection quoted ABVP nationalist wide caput Virendra Singh Solanki arsenic saying that “there indispensable beryllium societal equality for each sections of society”. However, helium said that “misconceptions” astir the regulations were prevailing amongst students, parents, and stakeholders, and the UGC indispensable prosecute with them to clarify concerns.
Meanwhile, the National Students’ Union of India, the Congress’ pupil wing, backed the regulations arsenic a “necessary measurement towards addressing favoritism connected campuses crossed the country”. NSUI nationalist president Varun Choudhary expressed enactment for the model successful station connected X.
Politicians continued to explicit their views regarding the rules. On Tuesday (January 27, 2026), Rajya Sabha Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi doubled down connected her statement that the caller regulations were discriminatory against definite sections portion Nagina (UP) MP and Bhim Army laminitis Chandra Shekhar Azad said that his enactment Azad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram) welcomed the regulations and said the absorption to the regulations were a “misleading and organised effort against societal justice, which is highly concerning”.
The caller regulations emerged from Supreme Court proceedings connected a batch of petitions filed successful 2019 by parents of students who died by suicide, arguing that the earlier 2012 UGC regulations were inadequate to code issues of caste favoritism connected campuses. During the hearings, the national authorities had informed the tribunal that it was revising the framework.
A draught mentation released by the UGC successful 2025 for nationalist comments had defined “caste-based discrimination” arsenic favoritism connected the ground of caste oregon people against members of the SCs and STs communities and included a proviso connected punishments for mendacious complaints. The draught drew objections from petitioners and different stakeholders who argued that provisions for punishing mendacious complaints were not elaborate capable to find the veracity of complaints.
A parliamentary sheet connected education, headed by Congress MP Digvijaya Singh, had successful 2025 besides recommended that OBCs beryllium included wrong the ambit of “caste-based discrimination”. Following this, the caller rules were notified this year, with OBCs included successful the explanation of “caste-based discrimination”, and the proviso of mendacious complaints dropped.
