Shimla Protests Erupt Over New UGC Higher Education Regulations 2026

Significant protests with demonstrators symbolically putting ropes around their necks have underlined a large- scale resistance against the amendments proposed by the University Grants Commission (UGC) through Himachal Pradesh.

On Wednesday the Rashtriya Devbhoomi Party and Devbhoomi Kshatriya Sangathan, Savarna Morcha brought out protests in Shimla. They were insisting on the immediate withdrawal of the newly introduced UGC regulations 2026. The protestors had assembled outside the state BJP office and as their symbolic act, they put ropes around their necks while chanting slogans against the center government.

The Rashtriya Devbhoomi Party president, Rumit Singh led the group who backed the UGC decision and surrounded the BJP state office at Chakkar. Protesters at multiple locations of the state gathered with the same demand of the withdrawal of the new UGC regulations 2026.

Opposition to UGC Amendment in Entire State

Rumit Singh, who is the president of the Rashtriya Devbhoomi Party, led the protesters who surrounded the Chakkar site of the BJP state office. At the same time, similar protests took place in different parts of Himachal Pradesh including Hamirpur district where the people expressed their anger against the controversial University Grants Commission (Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions) Regulations, 2026 by the means of these protests.

Key Concerns Raised by Protesters

The protesting organizations expressed serious concerns about the new UGC higher education regulations, claiming they could:

• Trigger caste conflicts and disrupt social harmony
• Create discrimination against general category students
• Lack adequate safeguards against misuse
• Enable false and malicious complaints targeting students
• Protesters' Main Demands
• Activists argued that the amended UGC rules prioritize protection of SC, ST, and OBC groups while treating general category students as "default suspects," effectively overlooking their fundamental rights in higher education institutions.

The demonstrators specifically criticized the absence of protective mechanisms against anonymous or fabricated complaints that could be weaponized against students from general categories.

Warning of Escalated Agitation

Protest leaders have warned of "intense agitation" if the central government does not respond to their demands quickly. Several social organizations from all over the state have joined the resistance against the UGC regulatory changes.

Increasing protests mirror the deepening issues of equity in higher education and the possible ramifications of the new regulations on different student communities in the educational setting of Himachal Pradesh.

The situation is still gathering force as different groups rally against the policies that, in their opinion, discriminate against institutions of higher education all over the state.