Mayawati defends UGC equity committees, cautions against social tension

Lucknow: BSP chief Mayawati on Wednesday defended UGC's new regulations mandating the formation of equity committees in higher educational institutions, saying opposition to the move by sections of the general category was "not at all justified".

She, however, cautioned that the rules should have been implemented after wider consultations to avoid social tension.

In a series of posts on X, Mayawati said the UGC's Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions Regulations, 2026, aimed at addressing caste-based discrimination in colleges and universities, were being wrongly projected as discriminatory by people with a "casteist mindset".

"Some provisions of the new UGC rules to form 'equity committees' in government colleges and private universities to resolve caste-based discrimination are being opposed by only those from the general category who have a casteist mentality, terming them conspiratorial and discriminatory. This is absolutely not appropriate," she said.

At the same time, the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said her party believed that "it would have been better if everyone had been taken into confidence before implementing such rules," adding that governments and institutions should ensure that such steps do not become a cause of social tension in the country.

She also appealed to Dalits and backward classes "not to fall prey" to what she described as provocative statements by "selfish and opportunistic leaders".

"In such matters, Dalits and OBCs should also not come under the influence of the inflammatory statements of their own selfish and sell-out leaders, who keep indulging in dirty politics under their cover. These sections must remain cautious," Mayawati said.

The UGC notified the new regulations on January 13, making it mandatory for all higher education institutions to constitute equity committees to look into complaints of discrimination and to promote inclusion. The rules require the committees to include members from the Other Backward Classes, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, persons with disabilities and women.

The 2026 regulations replace the UGC's 2012 equity regulations, which were largely advisory in nature.

The move has triggered protests by students in several states, including Uttar Pradesh, with critics alleging the rules could be misused.

Addressing the concerns, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Tuesday assured there would be no harassment or discrimination under the new framework.

"I want to humbly assure everyone, no one is going to face any harassment, there will be no discrimination and no one will have the right to misuse the regulation in the name of discrimination," Pradhan said.