A major political and administrative row has erupted in Uttar Pradesh after Bareilly City Magistrate Alankar Agnihotri resigned from service in protest against government policies, particularly the new University Grants Commission (UGC) regulations.
The state government has now placed Agnihotri under suspension with immediate effect on charges of indiscipline. According to an official order, he has been attached to the office of the Shamli District Magistrate during the suspension period.
Agnihotri, a 2019-batch Provincial Civil Service (PCS) officer, submitted his resignation on Republic Day, citing deep disagreement with certain government policies. In his resignation letter, he argued that the new UGC rules could fuel caste-based discontent and adversely affect the academic environment.
#WATCH | Bareilly, UP | Alankar Agnihotri, who resigned from his post as the City Magistrate of Bareilly yesterday, says, "An anti-Brahmin campaign is going on in the Uttar Pradesh government for quite some time now. Brahmins are being singled out and tortured. Somewhere, a… pic.twitter.com/IhJLRTHMii
— ANI (@ANI) January 27, 2026
Officials said Agnihotri sent his resignation via email to Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel and Bareilly District Magistrate Avinash Singh.
An order issued by Special Secretary Annapurna Garg stated that Agnihotri was found prima facie guilty of indiscipline and was therefore placed under suspension with immediate effect. Bareilly Divisional Commissioner B.S. Chaudhary has been appointed as the ex-officio inquiry officer to investigate the charges against Agnihotri.
Uttar Pradesh govt orders disciplinary action against Alankar Agnihotri, who resigned as Bareilly City Magistrate yesterday, and attaches him to Shamli District Magistrate. https://t.co/2Bqc3erBad pic.twitter.com/DxnoUUeEPB
— ANI (@ANI) January 27, 2026
In his resignation letter, the officer described the new UGC regulations as a “black law” and alleged that the rules were damaging the academic atmosphere in colleges and universities.
What are the New UGC Regulations?
The new UGC regulations, notified on January 13, aim to address caste-based discrimination in colleges and universities. Under the new framework, institutions are required to establish special committees, helplines, and monitoring teams to handle complaints, particularly from students belonging to Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Other Backward Classes (OBC).
While the intention behind these regulations is to create a safer and more inclusive academic environment, they have faced widespread criticism, particularly from general category students. Critics argue that the framework could result in discrimination against them.
Agnihotri alleges that the new regulations could lead to discrimination against Brahmins and provoke social unrest and internal discontent within educational institutions.
"An anti-Brahmin campaign is going on in the Uttar Pradesh government for quite some time now. Brahmins are being singled out and tortured," he told reporters on Monday.
