Reacting to the University Grants Commission (UGC)’s new rules to deal with caste-based discrimination, Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai on Tuesday alleged that the central government is “trying to divide people through the UGC.”
Ajay Rai said, “Just as they raised the Hindu-Muslim issue to hide their failure, now through the UGC they are trying to divide people. I believe that now their downfall is certain; they are in their last stages.” Gujarat’s industrialists are running all the big businesses. They want to remain in power by any means. They want to create division among Hindus. Congress party will not allow this to happen, because everyone is united for Congress. The system that existed in our times should now be implemented even more strictly.
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Tuesday tried to allay concerns being raised over the new UGC rules, assuring that the law will not be misused and there will be no discrimination in its implementation.
Speaking to reporters, Pradhan said, “I assure everyone that there will be no discrimination and no one can misuse the law.” Pradhan’s comments come after the new rules notified by the UGC on January 13, which updated the 2012 rules on the same subject, sparked widespread criticism from general category students who argued that the framework could lead to discrimination against them.
New rules implemented to prevent caste-based discrimination in colleges and universities require institutions to set up special committees and helplines to resolve complaints, especially those of students belonging to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes. Meanwhile, students in Lucknow protested in front of Lucknow University, raising slogans against the UGC policies.
Earlier, Shyam Sundar Tripathi, vice president of BJP Kisan Morcha from Salon constituency of Rae Bareli, had resigned from his post expressing dissatisfaction with the new policies of UGC. Tripathi had announced his resignation in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
In the letter, Tripathi wrote, “Due to the black law like reservation bill brought against upper caste children, I am resigning from my post. This law is extremely dangerous and divisive for the society. I am completely dissatisfied with this bill. There is deep dissatisfaction towards it. I do not support this reservation bill. Supporting such an immoral bill is completely against my self-respect and ideology,” Tripathi wrote.
Suspended Municipal Magistrate of Bareilly Alankar Agnihotri urged the Central government to intervene, alleging constitutional failure in Uttar Pradesh. Stepping up his protest against the Uttar Pradesh administration, Agnihotri claimed growing support from Brahmin organizations against the Uttar Pradesh administration, and said such support is coming from many states and alleged failure of the constitutional machinery in the state.
Speaking to the media during his ongoing protest in Bareilly, Agnihotri said that many organizations from six states and members of the Brahmin community are in touch with him. He said, “Various organizations and Brahmin communities of our six states have been in touch with me. Many people, including elected representatives, have expressed concern that the UGC rules published in the Gazette of India on January 13, 2026 will prove to be extremely harmful for the country.”