Deoria/Raebareli: Protests against the new UGC Regulations 2026 intensified across parts of Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday, with demonstrations reported from Deoria, Raebareli and Kaushambi.

In Deoria, thousands of protesters staged a sit-in near the district court, blocking traffic for nearly an hour and raising slogans against the Centre and the state government. Lawyers also extended support to the agitation. District Magistrate Divya Mittal later accepted a memorandum and cleared the blockade.

In Raebareli, BJP Kisan Morcha leader Shyam Sundar Tripathi resigned in protest, calling the rules “divisive”. In Kaushambi, a local activist wrote a letter in blood to the Prime Minister demanding rollback of the regulations.

The protests followed the UGC's January 13 notification mandating equity committees in higher education institutions. Critics fear misuse of the rules, while Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has assured safeguards against harassment.