UGC Equity Regulations 2026: BHU show-causes student supporters; FIRs in Lucknow

Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Varanasi, has issued “show-cause” notices to at least three students over their participation in a signature campaign related to the UGC equity regulations 2026 held on January 29 at the Shri Vishwanath temple.

Ironically, the three who have confirmed receiving notices had all protested in support of the UGC equity regulations. If the policy had not been stayed by the Supreme Court after massive protests, led mainly by the forward castes, BHU would have been duty bound to enforce them. The University Grants Commission is the top higher education regulator in the country.

Also read Caste on Campus: The shape of discrimination in universities and why many back UGC equity regulations

According to the BHU notices, sent via email, the students have been asked to “appear before the investigation committee” at the chief proctor’s Office and submit written statements on February 10 at 5 p.m. Careers360 has the emails.

The Mooknayak reports that Bahujan leaders and a 100 others who joined a protest at the Vidhan Sabha in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, have had FIRs filed against them.

UGC Equity Regulations: Students in support face probe

The students who have confirmed they have been show-caused to Careers360 include the following:

Paramdeep Patel, president of BHU Bahujan

Himanshu Yadav, president of the Samajwadi Chhatra Sabha (BHU)

Suman Anand, president of NSUI (BHU).

BHU Bahujan is a university group; the Samajwadi Chhatra Sabha is linked to the Samajwadi Party. Both represent historically-marginalised groups the UGC’s equity rules sought to protect from discrimination. The National Students’ Union of India is affiliated to the Congress.

Speaking to Careers360, one of the notice recipients, Himanshu Yadav, said they would appear before the committee to see what questions are asked. He called the action a “direct misuse of power” and questioned how the administration could act against students for expressing their views on a government decision. He added that they plan to write to the UGC alleging that the university is behaving unfairly.

“Students who opposed the UGC regulations have not been sent any notice, then how can notices be sent to us, who supported the regulations?” Yadav asked.

The University Grants Commission (Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions) Regulations, 2026 were notified on January 13 which caused widespread protests, most of them led by “general category” or upper-caste groups. They argued that the regulations’ definition of caste discrimination was vague and the absence of any provision for penalising “false cases” would “create chaos” in universities. BHU saw protests against these regulations in late-January.

The Bhim Army chief and member of parliament, Chandrashekhar Aazad wrote on X that the “false charges…expose the selective action being taken by the chief minister Yogi Adityanath’s on the basis of caste”. He pointed out that protests against the UGC equity regulations saw participants raising “objectionable slogans” on “digging a grave” for the prime minister and laces with casteist invective. “But no FIR was registered against anyone in that case,” Aazad wrote. “This makes clear that the law is no longer equal for everyone in Uttar Pradesh.”