UGC’s new regulations trigger protest in Patna, polarise political parties

Patna: Anger over the UGC’s newly notified regulations (Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions Regulations, 2026) spilled on the streets of Patna on Wednesday, as around 300 youths under the banners of the All Bihar Student Union and Swarn Samaj Ekta Manch staged a protest accusing the Centre of promoting caste-based divisions and seeking safeguards for General category students.Holding placards, protesters shouted slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and accused the NDA govt of dividing students on caste lines. They demanded equal opportunities for General category students in grievance redressal mechanisms, along with suitable amendments to the bill to prevent misuse of the new rules and protect the principles of natural justice. The inclusion of ‘socially and educationally backward classes’ (OBCs) under the regulations has also triggered political debate. The protesters alleged that the govt was discriminating against upper-caste students in the name of educational equality and said no deterrent had been provided to protect them against false complaints. They claimed General category students also face discrimination on university campuses on caste lines.Protesters also invoked literature and symbols associated with revolutionary poet Ramdhari Singh ‘Dinkar’.Meanwhile, the new UGC rules have polarised political parties. RJD and Janshakti Janata Dal leader Tej Pratap Yadav have openly supported the regulations and questioned the silence of the BJP and its allies. Petitions have also been filed in the Supreme Court challenging the new rules.Senior BJP leader and deputy CM Vijay Sinha said the govt would look into the matter with full sympathy and seriousness. “There is no need for anyone to be upset or angry,” he said.RJD spokesperson Shakti Yadav said the UGC regulations are a strong safeguard for reserved categories. He said complaints of caste-based discrimination in higher education institutions had been raised earlier, and a committee formed to investigate them had submitted its report, on the basis of which the regulations were framed.BJP MP and Bar Council of India chairman Manan Kumar Mishra said, “There was no necessity of bringing such regulations. It is not right to drag educational institutions into controversies. A controversy has been unnecessarily created, as rules against discrimination already existed on higher education campuses. The UGC should review these regulations as they would unnecessarily vitiate the academic environment.”JD(U) MP Rampreet Mandal said the UGC is a committee of educated people and its decisions will be reviewed if anyone faces difficulties.LJP(RV) leader and PHED minister Sanjay Kumar Singh said the govt is keeping a close watch on the matter, adding that several rules have been changed in the past after protests and suggestions.However, Tej Pratap Yadav has described the new regulations as a historic step brought in accordance with the Supreme Court’s order, with the aim of preventing caste-based discrimination in universities and colleges.