UP: Bareilly city magistrate suspended hours after he resigned in protest against new UGC rules

The Uttar Pradesh government on Monday suspended Bareilly City Magistrate Alankar Agnihotri on charges of indiscipline hours after he submitted his resignation in protest against “anti-Brahmin” government policies, especially the new University Grants Commission rules, PTI reported.

The 2026 University Grants Commission Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions Regulations, published on January 13, mandates the setting up of special committees, helplines and monitoring teams to address complaints, particularly from Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes students.

The regulations have led to a controversy, with several questioning its definition of “caste-based discrimination” and alleging bias against students from the “general category” by not providing for measures against “false complaints”.

The new regulations, which updated its 2012 rules on the same subject, define “caste-based discrimination” as discrimination “only on the basis of caste or tribe” against members of the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes.

It also removes a provision for punishments for false complaints, which was present in a draft circulated in 2025.

Agnihotri, a 2019-batch Provincial Civil Service officer, had submitted his resignation via e-mail to Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel and Bareilly District Magistrate Avinash Singh earlier on Monday, reported PTI.

In a statement, the suspended city magistrate had described the new University Grants Commission rules as a “black law”, claiming that they were harming the academic atmosphere in colleges and universities.

He demanded their immediate withdrawal.

His statement urged elected Brahmin representatives in the Centre and the state governments to resign from their posts and stand with the community.

Speaking to reporters in Bareilly, Agnihotri also said that the new University Grants Commission rules would “increase harassment” of Brahmins, The Print reported.

He added that the regulations portrayed the general category as “self-proclaimed criminals” and said that the provisions made in the name of equality were unfair and discriminatory.

“Those who consider themselves leaders of Brahmins are also staying silent, just like corporate employees,” The Print quoted Agnihotri as saying. “I appeal to them that if their conscience is still alive, they should stand with the people. When the general category is protesting, don’t you feel any shame in not standing with them?”

Later on Monday, the state government issued an order stating that Agnihotri had been found prima facie guilty of indiscipline and was placed under suspension with immediate effect, PTI reported.

Departmental disciplinary proceedings had been initiated against him, it added.

A separate chargesheet would be issued as part of the departmental action, the order said, adding that Agnihotri would remain attached to the Shamli district magistrate’s office during the pendency of the inquiry.

On Tuesday, ANI quoted the Bareilly district magistrate as rejecting the allegations raised by Agnihotri, adding that the claims were a “result of misrepresentation”.

Singh added that differences of opinion were part of a democratic system, but it was not appropriate to turn “dialogue into sensational allegations”, the news agency reported.

The statement added that the district administration had adopted restraint, balance and a positive approach throughout the incident and would continue to do so.

Opposition against new UGC rules intensifies

On Monday, opposition against the new University Grants Commission rules intensified, The Hindu reported.

A writ petition challenging the rules was filed in the Supreme Court by a post-doctoral researcher from Banaras Hindu University in Uttar Pradesh.

Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi also called for the regulations to be “withdrawn or amended as necessary”.

The Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) MP asked whether the provisions should not be “inclusive and ensure equal protection for everyone”.

She added: “Then why is this discrimination in the implementation of the law? What happens in case of false accusations? How will guilt be determined? How should discrimination be defined – through words, actions, or perceptions?”

Uttar Pradesh Bharatiya Janata Party MLC Devendra Pratap Singh wrote to the University Grants Commission, saying it should be concerned with protecting discrimination against Dalits and backward class students, and not with “making general category students feel unsafe”, the newspaper reported.

“The framed regulations could widen the caste-centric division and disturb the social balance,” The Hindu quoted him as writing in the letter. He added that equity was necessary, but it should not marginalise any section of students.