Bareilly Magistrate Resigns, Slams UGC Equity Rules
Bareilly Magistrate Resigns, Slams UGC Equity Rules
Bareilly magistrate resigns, accusing UGC's new equity rules of eroding democratic values and discriminating against general category students.
Bareilly saw a high-profile resignation as Alankar Agnihotri, a 2019-batch Provincial Civil Service officer serving as Bareilly City Magistrate, handed in his resignation on Monday. He said there was no longer democracy or a republic left in the central and state governments, describing the system as a “bhramtantra” and tying his decision to the University Grants Commission's Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions Regulations, 2026, notified on January 13. He argued the new framework undermines merit and unfairly targets general category students, labeling the rules discriminatory and harmful to their academic prospects. He also criticized the broader political climate, claiming it reflects erosion of democratic norms and republican values. He sent the five-page resignation letter to the Uttar Pradesh governor and the Bareilly district magistrate as a symbolic step against what he sees as excessive central and state control over education policy.
