Who is Alankar Agnihotri, Bareilly city magistrate who resigned over UGC rules citing bias against general category students

Bareilly City Magistrate Alankar Agnihotri, a 2019-batch Provincial Civil Service officer, resigned from service on Monday, citing deep disagreement with government policies, particularly the new University Grants Commission (UGC) regulations, officials said. His resignation on Republic Day triggered political reactions and administrative responses across Uttar Pradesh.

Who is Alankar Agnihotri?

A resident of Kanpur Nagar, Agnihotri completed his schooling up to Class 12 in Kanpur before earning a B.Tech degree from IIT BHU. He later also studied law and is an alumnus of Banaras Hindu University. After completing his B.Tech, he worked as a consultant in an IT company for 10 years, a period he said helped him achieve financial stability. During this time, he got married; his wife is Astha Mishra. Agnihotri has also worked in the United States.

After a decade in the private sector, Agnihotri prepared for the civil services examination and cleared the Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC) exam in 2016, securing the 15th rank. In 2019, he reportedly took charge as the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) of Unnao. He later served as SDM in Etah and held the post of Municipal Commissioner in the Noida Municipal Corporation before being appointed City Magistrate in Bareilly. He has also served in districts including Balrampur and Lucknow and is known in administrative circles for his strict working style and outspoken views.


Officials said Agnihotri sent his resignation by e-mail to Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel and Bareilly District Magistrate Avinash Singh. He described the new UGC regulations as a “black law” and alleged that they were vitiating the academic environment and should be withdrawn immediately. The regulations, notified on January 13 as the Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions Regulations, 2026, mandate special committees, helplines and monitoring teams to address complaints of caste-based discrimination, particularly from SC, ST and OBC students.

Agnihotri told reporters that policies which divide society require governments to be “awakened” and claimed democratic and republican values were eroding, leaving him unable to continue in the system. After attending the Republic Day function, he alleged that the new UGC rules could lead to social unrest and atrocities against Brahmins. He also referred to recent incidents, including Swami Avimukteshwaranand being stopped from taking a holy dip at the Triveni Sangam during the Magh Mela in Prayagraj, questioning the role of the local administration.

Allegation of being held hostage

Later in the day, Agnihotri alleged that he was held hostage for 45 minutes at the residence of District Magistrate Avinash Singh. “I was held hostage at the DM’s residence for 45 minutes. A call came from Lucknow. I was verbally abused and told, ‘pandit paagal ho gayaa hai’. I was released at the behest of the SSP,” he said, adding that he was instructed to vacate his official residence within two hours.

District Magistrate Avinash Singh rejected the allegations, calling them baseless. He said that senior officers, including additional district magistrates, SDMs, circle officers, LIU officials and the senior superintendent of police, were present during the meeting and that there was no mistreatment or abusive language. On the resignation itself, Singh said, “No comment.”

Political reactions to the resignation

Political leaders described the resignation as a serious indicator of administrative pressure. Bareilly Mayor Dr Umesh Gautam visited Agnihotri’s residence in the evening and said some shortcomings in the UGC regulations would be looked into, but declined to comment on the resignation. Congress state president Ajay Rai called the episode serious and said constitutional values and freedom of expression were under threat. Senior Samajwadi Party leader Praveen Singh Aron said the circumstances highlighted concerns about the dignity of administrative officers and constitutional principles, irrespective of caste or religion.