The implementation of the Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions Regulations, 2026 by the University Grants Commission (UGC) has triggered sharp protests in several parts of the country. Savarna Hindu students and their parents allege that the new regulations are discriminatory against General Category students and portray them as potential perpetrators.

Amid the controversy, Bareilly City Magistrate Alank Agnihotri, a 2019-batch Provincial Civil Services (PCS) officer, resigned from his post on Monday (January 26, 2026). In his resignation letter, Agnihotri expressed his disagreement with the UGC’s equity regulations.

Meanwhile, in Lucknow, nearly a dozen local office-bearers and workers of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have submitted their resignations from the party. They claim that the party leadership is ignoring the concerns of students and parents.

Under the new UGC regulations, all higher educational institutions across the country are required to constitute Equity Committees. These committees must include mandatory representation from Other Backward Classes (OBC), Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), persons with disabilities, and women. The new rules have replaced the Anti-Discrimination Regulations that were in force since 2012.

BJP Member of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council Devendra Pratap Singh has written to the UGC, stating that the regulations have created a sense of insecurity among General Category students.

Separately, Mrityunjay Tiwari, a post-doctoral researcher at Banaras Hindu University (BHU), has challenged the regulations in the Supreme Court by filing a writ petition. The petition argues that the rules violate the constitutional right to equality.

On the other hand, BJP MP from Jharkhand Nishikant Dubey said on social media that all “misunderstandings” surrounding the new regulations would soon be clarified. He also stated that the central government has implemented a 10 percent EWS reservation for economically weaker sections among Savarnas and asserted that, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the interests of Savarna students would not be harmed.

The controversy surrounding the UGC’s equity regulations has now reached administrative, political, and judicial levels. The future course of the issue will depend on the Supreme Court’s hearing and the stand taken by the central government.