UP government suspends city magistrate after resignation over UGC rules sparks row

The Uttar Pradesh government has suspended Bareilly City Magistrate Alankar Agnihotri on charges of indiscipline after his resignation in protest against government policies triggered a political and administrative storm.

Agnihotri, a 2019-batch Provincial Civil Service officer, has been attached to the office of the Shamli district magistrate with immediate effect, according to an order issued late on Monday night by the state government.

The action followed Agnihotri’s decision to tender his resignation on Republic Day, citing what he described as a deep ideological disagreement with government policies, particularly the recently notified University Grants Commission (UGC) regulations. He had emailed his resignation to Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel and Bareilly District Magistrate Avinash Singh.

In an order issued by special secretary Annapurna Garg from the appointments section, the government said Agnihotri was found prima facie guilty of indiscipline. Departmental proceedings have been initiated against him, and Bareilly divisional commissioner B S Chaudhary has been appointed as the ex-officio inquiry officer.

The order added that a separate charge sheet would be issued as part of the disciplinary action and that Agnihotri would remain attached to the Shamli district magistrate’s office while the inquiry is underway.

In his resignation statement, Agnihotri had sharply criticised the new UGC regulations, calling them a “black law” and alleging that they would vitiate the academic atmosphere and fuel caste-based tensions in universities and colleges. He demanded the immediate withdrawal of the rules.

The regulations, notified on 13 January 2026, aim to curb caste-based discrimination in higher educational institutions. They mandate the creation of special committees, helplines and monitoring mechanisms to address complaints, particularly from students belonging to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes.

Agnihotri’s resignation statement went beyond criticism of education policy. In a strongly worded and emotional message, he made allegations against the broader system and attacked the Centre over issues including what he described as the humiliation of the Brahmin community and an incident linked to the Prayagraj Magh Mela.

He also urged elected representatives from the Brahmin community at the Centre and in Uttar Pradesh to resign from their posts in solidarity, claiming that members of the general category were becoming increasingly alienated from both governments.

The suspension has drawn sharp reactions across political and bureaucratic circles, with critics accusing the government of intolerance towards dissent within the civil services, while officials have maintained that service rules require political neutrality and discipline from serving officers.

With PTI inputs