Protests against newly notified University Grants Commission regulations widened across Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday, drawing students, teachers, farmers’ groups and members of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party onto the streets, while dissent within the party sharpened with resignations and public criticism from senior figures.Demonstrations were reported from Lucknow, Prayagraj, Varanasi, Meerut, Aligarh and Gorakhpur, where university campuses and adjoining roads became focal points of mobilisation. Student unions accused the Centre of pushing through sweeping changes to higher education governance without adequate consultation, warning that the norms would dilute academic autonomy, undermine state universities and impose a uniform framework that ignored regional realities.
The regulations, notified earlier this month, expand the UGC’s oversight on appointments of vice-chancellors, revise eligibility criteria for academic leadership and seek to standardise recruitment and evaluation processes across public universities. The education ministry has described the changes as necessary to improve quality, transparency and global competitiveness. Protesters, however, argue that the rules centralise power and open the door to political interference in appointments.
Tensions escalated when groups of farmers joined campus protests in parts of western Uttar Pradesh, framing the issue as another example of decisions taken without consultation with stakeholders. Slogans against the Centre were raised in Muzaffarnagar and Saharanpur, where farmer leaders linked the education regulations to broader grievances over federalism and state rights.
Within the BJP, cracks surfaced as local leaders and office-bearers voiced discomfort. Two district-level functionaries in eastern Uttar Pradesh resigned from their organisational roles, citing an inability to defend the regulations before constituents. Party sources confirmed the resignations, though the state unit sought to play them down as individual decisions rather than a wider revolt.
The most striking intervention came from Kalraj Mishra, a senior BJP leader and former governor, who publicly opposed the regulations and urged the Union government to withdraw them. In a statement shared with reporters, Mishra said higher education thrived on diversity and decentralisation, cautioning that excessive central control could weaken institutions rather than strengthen them. His remarks were notable given his long association with the party and his earlier roles in both state and national politics.
Opposition parties seized on the unrest, accusing the BJP-led Centre of ignoring feedback from states and academic bodies. Leaders from the Samajwadi Party and Congress visited protest sites in Lucknow and Prayagraj, promising to raise the issue in Parliament and press for wider consultations. They argued that education remained a concurrent subject and that states had a legitimate say in regulatory architecture.
University teachers’ associations echoed these concerns, pointing to clauses that allow search-cum-selection committees for vice-chancellors to be dominated by nominees from central bodies. Faculty groups said this risked marginalising state governments and senates, traditionally key stakeholders in public universities. Some warned that the norms could trigger a wave of litigation, as states challenge the extent of UGC’s authority.
Officials at the education ministry have defended the regulations, saying they align Indian universities with international best practices and ensure merit-based leadership. They maintain that states were consulted through draft notifications and that the final rules incorporate safeguards against arbitrary appointments. Ministry representatives have also said the regulations do not override state laws but provide a common minimum framework.
Despite these assurances, protests continued into the evening, with students staging sit-ins and candlelight marches. Police maintained a visible presence around major campuses, though authorities reported no serious clashes. In Lucknow, traffic diversions were imposed near university areas as crowds swelled.