Hundreds of Swaran (upper caste) community activists demanding the rollback of the UGC notification in January and the enactment of a Swaran Aayog gheraoed the Himachal Pradesh Secretariat on Thursday, prompting the police to resort to mild use of force.
Alleging that both the BJP and the Congress governments in Himachal Pradesh have failed to address the issues raised by his party, Thakur cautioned that no political party would be able to win the 2027 Assembly elections without the support of Swaran Samaj, as the community constitutes a huge section of the state’s population and wields tremendous influence in the society. The University Grants Commission notified the UGC (Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions) Regulations, 2026 on January 13 this year to curb discrimination in Indian higher education. A Supreme Court bench stayed the operation of these regulations on January 29, 2026, observing that they appeared vague and were susceptible to misuse.
Swaran Aayog refers to the demand of the upper caste community to constitute a state-level commission to study and address the economic, educational, and social challenges faced by economically weaker sections among members of the general category. Four states are already covered; other major states would be covered in the coming days. A massive protest will be held in Delhi on January 10.”
Makrana further said, “We have been on the road for the last eight months, and such yatras are planned in all states.
He added, “These reservations have blocked the future of our children, who will not be able to get access to higher education institutions.
Talking to mediapersons after receiving a memorandum from the agitators, Minister Anirudh Singh, who hails from a Royal family, said that in his personal opinion, an Aayog should be constituted for the Swaran community.
