UGC Equity Regulations 2026: Protests & Resignations Shake Indian Campuses

It’s Wednesday, January 28, 2026, and the university campus has officially become the latest political front line. After a week of protests and high-profile resignations—including a BJP official in UP—Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan stepped out yesterday to try and calm the waters.

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The thing is, the new UGC Equity Regulations 2026 have turned “campus harmony” into a legal battleground. Or nothing.

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The “Equity” Row: Field Notes

It’s an ongoing situation where a move designed to stop another Rohith Vemula tragedy is being called a “Black Law” by others. Here’s the ground reality:

• The OBC Inclusion Spark: For the first time, the 2026 rules explicitly include Other Backward Classes (OBCs) alongside SC/STs in the definition of caste-based discrimination. The thing is, while groups like the NSUI and Bhim Army welcome this, critics argue it ignores “general category” students who might also face harassment. Those too.

• The Resignation Ripple: In Uttar Pradesh, the blowback is real. BJP Mahila Morcha’s Shashi Tomar resigned, and a City Magistrate in Bareilly, Alankar Agnihotri, was suspended after he sat on a dharna calling the rules a “conspiracy.” Let’s be real—when the government’s own officers start protesting, the “administration” has a problem.

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• The “False Complaint” Fear: Here’s the kicker—an earlier draft of the rules had a penalty for filing “false complaints,” but the final version dropped it. Now, faculty and general category students are terrified of being “framed” without a safety net. And here’s the kicker: even the ABVP (RSS-backed student wing) is calling for “clarity and balance.” Or nothing.

• The 24/7 Watch: Every college must now have an Equal Opportunity Centre and an Equity Squad. It’s basically a 24/7 campus surveillance system for discrimination. The thing is, the Supreme Court is already hearing a plea (Vineet Jindal vs. Union of India) to make these rules “caste-neutral.”

UGC 2012 vs. 2026: What Changed?

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And Here’s the Kicker…

Minister Pradhan is promising the rules “won’t be misused,” but the thing is, the definitions are “broad and abstract.” Students in Delhi are warning of “campus chaos,” and the Supreme Court just agreed to urgently list a plea against the “exclusionary” nature of the laws.

One side comment—the identity of the accuser might not be kept private anymore if the UGC follows through on its latest talk with student leaders to “discourage false complaints.” It’s an ongoing situation where the government is trying to appease everyone but might end up pleasing no one. Those too. Or nothing.

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End…

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