Is BJP going to lose the Trust of its Core Voters? The UGC Equity Regulation Fiasco

Is BJP going to lose the Trust of its Core Voters?

The UGC Equity Regulation Fiasco

29 Jan 26

The Supreme Court ( Bench comprising of Chief Justice of India Suryakant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi) has today stayed the Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions Regulations, 2026 saying that they were vague and and prone to misuse. The Supreme Court directed all the higher education institutions to follow The UGC Regulations 2012 till further order. 

The court observed that the wording of these regulations was not clear and their misuse cannot be ruled out. The definition of 'caste based discrimination' dealt with 'discrimination only on the basis of caste based discrimination against the members of scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, and other backward classes'.

The court also remarked " Are we becoming a regressive society after our efforts and achievements regarding casteless society since Independence? Are we moving back again to caste differences?" We don't need separate schools and hostels based on caste or communities like in the US. The court also asked why ragging was excluded which is more important than caste discrimination. 

What the UGC Regulations (2026) Are About

The University Grants Commission (UGC) notified the Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions Regulations, 2026  on 13 Jan 26 to strengthen enforcement against discrimination in colleges and universities. These replace earlier, more advisory rules with a legally binding framework.

Key objectives:

Eliminate discrimination on grounds such as caste, religion, race, gender, place of birth, and disability.

Promote inclusion and fairness through mandatory institutional mechanisms.

Hold institutions accountable with penalties for non-compliance.

Main institutional requirements:

Every college and university must set up an Equal Opportunity Centre (EOC) and an Equity Committee.

A 24/7 Equity Helpline and clear timelines for handling complaints.

Heads of institutions bear legal responsibility for implementation.

Penalties for failure to comply include debarment from UGC schemes, prohibition on offering degrees/programmes, and loss of UGC recognition.

Why Upper Class/General Category See the Rules as “Intimidating”.

1. Focus on Historically Disadvantaged Categories

Many reports note that the regulations explicitly define caste discrimination in terms of unfair treatment against Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Other Backward Classes (OBC). Critics argue this may implicitly assume that only those groups can be victims of caste discrimination — effectively excluding general category students from being recognized as victims of caste bias.

Concern: 

No express provision states that a general category student can be recognised as a victim of discrimination — even if discrimination is suffered on caste-related grounds.

2. Ambiguous Definitions and Broad Powers

The regulations use broad terms like “implicit” and “structural” discrimination without detailed thresholds or standards of proof. This gives institutional committees significant discretion in interpreting what counts as discrimination.

Potential implication:

General category students worry that ordinary academic disputes or interpersonal conflicts could be re-labelled as discrimination under a broad definition.

The absence of clear safeguards against malicious or false complaints is highlighted by critics, potentially leading to reputational harm before due process concludes.

3. Procedural Concerns

Some elements — like strict timelines for addressing complaints (e.g., Equity Committee decisions within 15 working days) — are intended to ensure quick action, but invite criticism that complex disputes may not be examined thoroughly.

Possible worry: Intensive procedures without robust procedural safeguards for the accused (who could be from the general category) might feel intimidating in competitive academic environments.

Arguments Supporting the Regulations (Not “Intimidating”)

While many criticism points focus on potential imbalances, it’s also important to note these rules are framed to address long-standing discrimination, and UGC and education authorities argue:

They align with Supreme Court directions and NEP 2020 principles on equity and inclusion in education.

Broader protections (including explicit inclusion of OBCs and PwBDs) aim to fill gaps from earlier frameworks.

Mandatory mechanisms & accountability aim to move institutions from symbolic to structural prevention of bias.

Supporters argue that if implemented transparently with fair procedures, these rules will protect disadvantaged students without targeting the general category.

So, Are They Intimidating for General Category Students?

Not inherently “anti–General Category”, but potentially perceived as intimidating under the following conditions:

✔️ If grievance mechanisms are poorly explained

✔️ If procedural safeguards for the accused are weak (no explicit protections against false complaints)

✔️ If definitions remain broad and open to interpretation

Noted fears rather than confirmed legal biases.

Important distinction: The regulations do not legally bar general category students from being protected against discrimination per se, but because caste-based discrimination is defined in terms of historically disadvantaged groups, general category students feel the rules may not equally protect them in caste-related grievance situations.

The Principle Factor Contributing to Apprehension among the General Category (Savarna group)

1. “The regulations appear to associate caste-based discrimination primarily with the General Category branding them indirectly as perpetual oppressors and discriminators who have exploited SC/ ST people and OBC people and are still doing so and will continue to do so, without sufficiently acknowledging that discrimination can occur across all communities.”

Who are Sawarna Group? 

Sawarna group are the people from three classes Brahmins (Priest class), Kshatriyas (The soldier class) and Vaishyas (the merchant class). They are also known as general category or unreserved category. People of this category do not get reservation in government jobs. They do not get relaxation in maximum  age limit and number of attempts to appear in tests for government jobs like SC/ST. Although Modi ji introduced 10% reservation for Economically Weaker Sections in general category.

Misuse of SC/ST Act and making it more stringent by BJP Government

There were many complaints of misuse of SC ST Act because it had the provision of arrest without preliminary inquiry and without the provision of bail. The Supreme Court order on March 20, 2018 introduced safeguards against misuse of this act by banning automatic arrest and allowing anticipatory bail. 

But Modi government overturned the Supreme Court's order by passing a bill that brought it to original shape to continue with immediate arrest and no bail. Modi government made it more stringent by increasing the number of instances when this Act becomes applicable. 

However, the misuse of SC/ST Act continued, as per available reports from 15 to 25 percent cases are found to be false and these cases have 90 percent conviction rate.

The reports of misuse of SC /ST Act generated fear among the Sawarn Group ( General category) 

Social Media is full of stories of misuse of SC ST act and how families were destroyed by false SC ST Act case leading to the death of all family members because the head of the family was put behind bars. there were instance that a sc/st candidate proposed a girl student but when she refused, sc/st case was filed against her and it was taken back only after money was extorted from the father. Some advocates were found to have made it a profession to extort money by this act.

The UGC regulations made Sawarn Group worried and uneasy about the future of their children. Their apprehension was that their children shall be victims of conspiracy and land in jail.   

Sawarna Group considered UGC Regulations as betrayal by Modi led BJP

Constant silence maintained by Modi led BJP made sawarna people think that they have been betrayed by Modi led BJP. Since the days of Jansangha (Former name of BJP), Sawarna people considered BJP as the party of Sawarna people and they have been supporting BJP continuously since then. When Modi made SC/ST act more stringent and overturned Supreme Court's order, then also Sawarna Group did not object to Modi, the reason being that all other parties had no spine or will to oppose Modi on this matter. The Sawarna group accepted it as a necessity to get votes to win election but they were shocked by UGC regulations and felt as if pushed against the wall. They finally resorted to movements against the bill.  Although, the education minister made promises that no student will suffer from the misuse of these regulation but none trusted him and several PILs were lodged in Supreme Court. BJP continuously maintained silence on this matter. It only made people think that Modi too had consented to these regulations. 

Patterns of Anti-Brahmin Narratives on Social Media Platforms

In recent years, social media has witnessed a noticeable increase in posts critical of Brahmin identity and Brahminism, particularly from Ambedkarite groups inspired by B. R. Ambedkar’s ideology. Many of these posts portray Brahmins through negative stereotypes and present them as responsible for the origins and persistence of the caste system. Simultaneously, Ambedkar is elevated as a heroic moral and intellectual figure, while the Indian Constitution is symbolically treated as a sacred text.

Certain visual representations, including depictions associated with Periyar, intensify this rhetoric by using provocative imagery to express opposition to Brahmin dominance. A segment of these narratives also advances historical claims that Buddhism predates Hindu traditions and that Brahmanical communities appropriated Buddhist literature, symbols, and sites of worship. Waman Meshram, associated with Kanshi Ram’s ideological movement, frequently posts content critical of Brahmin communities, which has led to active counter-narratives on social media.

The Sawarna group perceives that the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Mohan Yadav, has not initiated adequate action regarding the remarks made by IAS officer Santosh Varma.

According to discussions circulating on social media, allegations of false SC/ST cases, caste-based rhetoric, and threats attributed to certain Ambedkarite activists have prompted sections of the Sawarna community to organise counter-responses. These responses aim to question what they perceive as ideological contradictions and to reassert alternative interpretations regarding the role of B. R. Ambedkar and B. N. Rau in the drafting of the Indian Constitution.

Advocate Anil Mishra of the Gwalior High Court emerged as a prominent figure in this debate, which in turn led to counter-actions by Ambedkarite groups. As part of these protests, copies of the Manusmriti were publicly burned. Activists such as Waman Meshram have remained highly visible in these discussions, often making strong statements critical of Brahmin identity and historical narratives.

The controversy intensified following a public statement by IAS officer Santosh Varma, who remarked that reservation policies should continue until his son married the daughter of a Brahmin. This comment generated widespread reaction and dissatisfaction among sections of the Sawarna community.

Concerns were raised regarding what was perceived as unequal administrative response: while Advocate Anil Mishra was arrested on charges of making derogatory remarks against Ambedkar and burning his photograph, no comparable action was reported against those involved in burning the Manusmriti. This led to allegations of selective enforcement of law.

In contrast, Sawarna groups in Uttar Pradesh expressed approval of actions taken by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath against those involved in burning the Manusmriti. Meanwhile, the Madhya Pradesh government under Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has been engaged in legal efforts to increase the OBC reservation quota from 15 percent to 27 percent, maintaining the 87:13 formula. 

These developments reflect the growing role of social media in intensifying caste-related discourse and highlight the challenges faced by state administrations in responding consistently to highly polarised symbolic and political conflicts.

Some sections of society perceive that trust is being eroded due to silence

In recent times, social media has witnessed an increase in posts critical of Brahmin identity, particularly from Ambedkarite Buddhist groups. This trend has contributed to heightened tensions and polarised discourse surrounding caste and religious identity.

Some members of the Sawarna community perceive that organisations such as the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and the Bharatiya Janata Party are not prioritising Hindu unity in their public messaging as per their previous slogans like "Batoge To Katoge" " Ek rahenge to nek rahenge" . They interpret Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s repeated use of the slogan “Jai Bhim” as an expression of political alignment with Ambedkarite narratives. A widely circulated video has left people guessing about Narendra Modi’s stand on Dalit issues, particularly due to his use of the phrase ‘settling score’ in reference to relations between Dalits and upper-caste communities.”

This perception has generated concern within sections of the Sawarna group, who feel that their trust in the broader discourse of Hindu unity is weakening. The situation reflects the growing impact of symbolic politics and social media rhetoric on inter-community relations.

Impact on coming elections of UP, MP and the centre in 2029 

Now it is doubtful whether Sawarna Group will remain faithful to BJP. Sawarna Group specially Brahmins are being lured by Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav. The elections in UP and MP are near and the result of these elections only can bring out the truth of the support of Sawarna Group. One important thing to be noted is that Sawarna Group is at present without a good leader.

Last Updated: 10 PM IST. Note: News moves fast. While this summary was accurate at the time of writing, events may have progressed since publication.