Delhi University students protest against new UGC regulations

New Delhi, Jan 28 (PTI) Protests against the newly notified UGC Equity Regulations 2026 spread to Delhi University on Wednesday, with at least 50 students gathered near the arts faculty in the north campus to demand a "complete rollback" of the rules.

The protesting students submitted a memorandum to the DU proctor's office, calling the UGC (Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions) Regulations, 2026, "biased and divisive" and alleging that rules are ambiguous and contain loopholes. They said the framework, instead of addressing discrimination, could deepen divisions on campuses.

Students participating in the protest said that the new regulations "aggravate existing differences instead of promoting sensitisation." Alokit Tripathi, a PhD student, urged the university to support the demand for a rollback formally. "The DU should stand with us and demand a rollback of the regulations. The longer the university takes, the more chaos it will create on the campus," he said.

Tripathi added that students have warned university authorities of an indefinite strike if they do not receive a response from university officials this week.

The DU proctor's office did not respond to the query.

The UGC notified the regulations on January 13. Under the framework, universities and colleges are required to set up an Equal Opportunity Centre with an Equity Committee to address complaints of discrimination and promote inclusion.

The committee, chaired by the head of the institution, is mandated to inquire into complaints, recommend corrective measures, protect complainants and operate a 24x7 equity helpline and online reporting system. PTI VBH MPL MPL