The protesting students took to the streets not only in Delhi but also in several areas of Uttar Pradesh including Agra, Bareilly, and Meerut, among others, demanding the withdrawal of the new UGC guidelines.
The students argued that the new rules, instead of promoting fairness, would lead to discrimination on university campuses. They claimed that the guidelines do not include any mandatory provision to ensure representation for students from the general category.
The UGC’s new regulations were introduced to address caste-based discrimination in higher education institutions. Under the rules, colleges and universities are required to set up special committees and helplines to handle complaints, particularly from students belonging to Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST) and Other Backward Classes (OBCs).
As the protest escalated, tensions rose near the vice-chancellor’s office. A large group of students reportedly crossed the first police barricade and tried to move closer to the administrative block. To prevent the situation from worsening, police personnel deployed on campus later shut the main university gate.
The protesting students said the new UGC guidelines go against the idea of “educational equality”. They alleged that by focusing only on certain groups, the rules leave out general category students and fail to provide equal representation for all sections of society.
