Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Members of Savarna community groups marched from Platinum Plaza near Mata Mandir to Raj Bhavan on Saturday to protest provisions they said the University Grants Commission (UGC) had introduced for 2026. After the march, they submitted a memorandum addressed to the President through the Governor.
The protesters demanded the withdrawal of the provisions, reservation based on economic criteria and a mandatory preliminary inquiry before action is taken under the SC/ST Act. They said their concerns centred on how the provisions would affect children from Savarna families.
Krishna Bundela, a representative of the protesters, said smaller demonstrations had already taken place in different parts of Madhya Pradesh. Saturday’s march in Bhopal, he said, marked the formal start of a wider campaign that the organisers intend to take to Delhi.
Bundela claimed the provisions were linked to changes in UGC rules dating from 2012 and would infringe upon the rights of students from the Savarna community. The protesters’ interpretation of the provisions could not be independently established from the information provided.
“Where will a child from the Savarna community go? We ourselves must step forward to protect our children,” Bundela said. He urged the government to consider the protesters’ demands, arguing that the measures could affect social harmony.
The group walked towards Raj Bhavan before handing over its memorandum. Bundela said organisers were preparing to expand the campaign beyond Madhya Pradesh, with Delhi as a planned destination. He did not provide a date for the proposed demonstration there.
No response from the UGC or the state government to the protesters’ demands was immediately available. The specific provisions challenged in the memorandum were not detailed in the information provided. The protesters said they would continue pressing for their demands after the Bhopal march.
