Patna: Students demanding the implementation of newly notified University Grants Commission (UGC) rules staged a tense protest in Patna on Monday, breaking through police barricades and prompting the use of water cannons as authorities deployed heavy security to contain the march.
The protesters, largely students from Patna College, were stopped by police near JP Golambar as they attempted to march towards Gandhi Maidan. Barricades had been erected in advance, and additional forces were called in as crowds grew and slogans intensified.
Eyewitnesses said students climbed on to the barricades, chanting in support of the new UGC rules and accusing the government of failing to protect marginalised students in higher education. After several hours, a section of the protesters attempted to push past the police cordon, leading to a brief scuffle. Police detained several students and took them to a nearby police station.
The protest continued for nearly three hours, during which one student fainted and was carried away in a police vehicle. Traffic in and around Gandhi Maidan was severely disrupted, with long queues of vehicles and several school buses stranded in the congestion.
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Student leader Manish Yadav, who was later taken to Kotwali police station for questioning, struck a defiant note. “We have come prepared to die,” he said. “The government will have to implement the new rules. We will not back down.”
The demonstrations come against the backdrop of a Supreme Court order issued on January 29, staying the implementation of the new UGC rules aimed at preventing discrimination in universities and colleges. The court said the provisions were unclear and warned that they could be misused, putting the amended regulations on hold soon after they were notified on January 13, 2026 as changes to the 2012 framework.
The rules have sharply divided opinion among students and academics. Supporters argue they are necessary to address entrenched caste-based discrimination on campuses, while critics say the regulations are vaguely worded and could create new problems.
Several protesters spoke of alleged discrimination in higher education. Abhishek Yadav said caste identities continued to define students’ experiences from the moment they entered college. “The caste system should be abolished,” he said. “As soon as they see you are SC, ST or OBC, they say, ‘Remove him.’ They never want us to progress.”
Another student, described what he called routine humiliation by teaching staff. “For the first time, the prime minister has done something commendable,” he said, referring to the new rules. “Professors tell us, ‘What will you achieve by studying?’ Many people cannot bear this harassment and end their lives.”
Abhishek Yadav added that opposition to the rules reflected deep-seated prejudice. “Those whose minds are filled with caste bias are having a problem with this,” he said.
