Lucknow: The controversy over the University Grants Commission’s (UGC) ‘Rules to Promote Equality in Higher Education Institutions, 2026’ continues to intensify. In this context, former minister and Rashtriya Lok Dal president Swami Prasad Maurya has issued a strong statement.
Swami Prasad Maurya questioned the perceived threat to the general category from this law. He asked whether the upper castes consider it their right to oppress Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Other Backward Classes (OBC), or if they believe that taking away others’ rights is their natural entitlement.
In conversation, he clarified that the law poses no loss or danger to the upper castes. Instead, it aims to protect those who have been victims of discrimination, and therefore, it deserves collective support.
He further said that if some members of the upper caste oppose the law, it clearly indicates that a small group still refuses to accept 90 percent of the country’s Dalit and tribal population as part of the Hindu community. Had they truly accepted them, such opposition would not arise. He described this stance as a mentality against social equality and harmony.
Regarding the UGC Law 2026, Swami Prasad Maurya emphasized that it fully aligns with the Indian Constitution and its fundamental spirit. According to the Constitution, discrimination based on religion, sect, caste, gender, or place is prohibited, and this law implements the same principle.
He alleged that caste-based discrimination is openly visible in appointments for posts like Associate Professor, Assistant Professor, and Reader in universities and higher education institutions. The reservation system for SC, ST, and OBC is ridiculed and often reduced to almost zero in many places.
Swami Prasad Maurya also pointed out that not only recruitment but students from SC, ST, and OBC groups often face disrespectful behaviour in higher education institutions. He stated that laws like UGC 2026 are necessary to ensure smooth and fair functioning of these provisions, thereby promoting equality and social justice in education.
Responding to questions about the recent clash involving Swami Avimukteshwaranand Shankaracharya at Sangam Ghat, Maurya said that disrespect towards the Shankaracharya is not new, attributing it to the current government’s widespread disorder. He remarked wryly that even the Shankaracharya has become a victim of the prevailing chaos and is now realizing the nature of those in power.
He also referred to the recent incident in Etawah, where Yadav brothers narrating Bhagwat Katha were allegedly mistreated, having their hair forcibly cut and tufts pulled out. Maurya remarked that such incidents reflect the current reality and make disrespect towards the Shankaracharya unsurprising.
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