Students groups on Monday staged a protest against the UGC draft guidelines that suggest "de-reserving" vacancies in Higher Education Institutes reserved for SC, ST, and OBC candidates if suitable candidates are not available.

The JNU Students' Union (JNUSU) along with other Left-backed student outfits such as AISA and SFI demonstrated outside the UGC headquarters demanding the proposal be rolled back. In a statement, AISA said that the draft guidelines are detrimental to the ethos of democratic India and will "ruin all inclusiveness and justice from education institutions."

"This notice will not be tolerated by the students and no empty promise, but outright deletion of it from the guideline must be ensured," the statement said.

The student body also raised objections to the draft guidelines being issued only in English, online, and without a broadcast to the press. It submitted preliminary comments on the matter in a letter to the University Grants Commission on Sunday.

A delegation of students representing different outfits met officials at the UGC office and presented the grievances of the student community they stand to face if the draft guidelines are implemented.

According to the Students Federation of India, students were assured by the UGC officials that the draft guidelines will be revised to remove the clause on de-reservation of SC, ST, and OBC posts.

"Following the protest at UGC, delegates met with the officials of UGC and expressed the grievances of the student community regarding the guidelines released by the body.

"The officials accepted that it was a grave mistake that happened from their side and the revised draft will not carry the clause on de-reservation," the SFI statement read.

The Krantikari Yuva Sangathan (KYS) also participated in the demonstration and demanded the dismissal of UGC Chairperson M Jagadesh Kumar.

In its statement, the group alleged the draft guidelines are an attempt to lower the number of reserved seats in higher education institutes so that eligible candidates could be rejected as 'not found suitable,' or NFS, category.

The 'Guidelines for Implementation of the Reservation Policy of the Government of India in Higher Education Institutes,' stipulate that a vacancy reserved for SC, ST and OBC candidates can be declared "unreserved" if enough candidates from these categories are not available.