The University Grants Commission (UGC)’s new regulations on the promotion of equity in higher education campuses triggered protests in Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday (January 27, 2026), with a section of students demonstrating at Lucknow University against the rules, alleging they would affect their studies and future.
The protesting students staged a sit-in at the university’s main gate and raised slogans against the UGC, claiming the University Grants Commission (Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions) Regulations, 2026 could lead to caste conflict and disrupt social harmony on campuses. “We demand that the UGC reconsider the framework and initiate a wider, inclusive dialogue before enforcing the new rules. These rules disturb the social balance,” said Anmol Singh, an LLB student, while speaking to local media.
