Upper caste activists gherao HP Secretariat; demand UGC notification rollback, Swaran Aayog

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.

Protesters linked to the Rashtriya Devbhoomi Party and allied associations attempted to breach the state secretariat as the 21-day, 600-kilometre foot march 'Swarn Samaj Ashwamedh Nyay Yatra' reached the state capital Shimla.

As the traffic came to a standstill in Chota Shimla, police deployed water cannons and used mild force to disperse the demonstrators.

Panchayat and Rural Development Minister Anirudh Singh was deputed to talk to the protesters on Thursday. A meeting between the chief minister and the leaders spearheading the demonstration has also been scheduled for Friday.

Rumit Singh Thakur, president of Rashtriya Devbhoomi Party, which organised the foot march, said the yatra received an overwhelming response, and called it a "victory for the entire society".

He said they are grateful that no case was registered against the protesters.

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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.

He said Cabinet Minister Anirudh Singh was deputed to hold talks with the protesters, and this was no mean feat as he represents the government.

Mahipal Singh Makrana, president of Rajput Karni Sena, which is also associated with the agitation, said, "Our main demand is rollback of the University Grants Commission (UGC) notification and the enactment of a law for Swaran Aayog."

He said the provision of 15 per cent reservation for Scheduled Castes, 7.5 per cent for Scheduled Tribes, 27 per cent for Other Backward Classes and 4 per cent for Persons with Disabilities was a cruel joke on the Swaran Samaj and it will not be brooked.

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.

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Makrana further said, "We have been on the road for the last eight months, and such yatras are planned in all states. 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."

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.

The Himachal Pradesh government listens to the demands of all sections of people, he said, adding that the chief minister will meet leaders of the agitation on Friday.