General Category Organisations Protest New UGC Regulations in Mandi, Warn of Statewide Agitation.
Shimla:
A massive protest was held in Mandi on Thursday against the newly introduced University Grants Commission (UGC) regulations, with major General Category organisations terming them an “undemocratic black law.” The protest was organised under the banner of the Rajput Mahasabha Himachal Pradesh and the General Category United Forum, and saw wide participation from various social and community organisations.
Members of Rajput Sabha Mandi, Brahmin Sabha, Mahajan Sabha, Khatri Sabha, Ahluwalia Sabha, and the Namdhari Sikh Sangat actively took part in the demonstration. Prominent leaders present included State President of Rajput Mahasabha and General Category United Forum Engineer K.S. Jamwal, Senior Vice President Jitender Vashisht, and retired Professor Dr. Amar Singh Guleria, among others.
Addressing the gathering, Engineer K.S. Jamwal announced that all General Category organisations across Himachal Pradesh would launch a statewide agitation against the UGC regulations. He said memorandums would be submitted to the President of India, the Central Government, and all Members of Parliament from Himachal Pradesh, demanding immediate withdrawal of the regulations. Jamwal further stated that the organisations would actively participate in the ongoing nationwide movement against the law and warned that if the government failed to respond, the agitation would be intensified.
Jamwal alleged that the General Category was already facing injustice due to laws such as the SC/ST Atrocities Act, which he described as undemocratic. He claimed that the new UGC regulations would further harass university students who are striving to secure their future through education. He also criticised the inclusion of OBCs along with SC and ST categories in the new framework, alleging that it would create caste-based divisions among students.
Raising concerns over the proposed screening committees in universities, Jamwal said that these committees would allegedly comprise only SC, ST, and OBC members, with no provision for action against false complainants. He added that under such provisions, the accused would be forced to prove their innocence, which he termed as unjust.
Leaders from various participating organisations also addressed the rally and appealed to people belonging to the General Category to unite and strongly oppose what they called a “black law.”
After the meeting, protesters carrying banners and raising slogans against the Central Government and the UGC marched in a rally from Indira Market to the Deputy Commissioner’s office. There, they submitted a memorandum addressed to the President of India, the Prime Minister, the Union Education Minister, and the state’s Members of Parliament through the Deputy Commissioner.
Notable participants in the protest included organiser Engineer D.K. Chandel, District President of Rajput Sabha Mandi, retired Professor Dr. Amar Singh Guleria, Hem Singh Thakur, Jitender Vashisht, Harish Sharma, and Rakesh Kaul from Brahmin Sabha; Anil Gupta from Mahajan Sabha; Tarun Malhotra and Chirag Malhotra from Khatri Sabha; Bal Chand Walia from Ahluwalia Sabha; and Sardar Gurmeet Singh from the Namdhari Sikh Sangat, along with their respective office bearers. A large number of social activists and community members also joined the protest.
