Market Mastery
Webinar by Vishal Malkan
Find the weak links
in your portfolio by Vishal Malkan
The Centre is considering setting up a special committee to review the University Grants Commission’s (UGC) 2026 equity regulations, which were put on hold by the Supreme Court in January over concerns that certain provisions were vague and vulnerable to misuse.
According to ANI, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed a bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi on Thursday that the government was examining the issue and exploring ways to ensure that no section of students feels excluded, threatened or apprehensive under the proposed framework.
The submission followed the Supreme Court’s suggestion that the Centre reconsider the regulations and put in place a mechanism that safeguards the interests of every student. Emphasising the need to keep the younger generation at the centre of the exercise, the bench said the revised framework should address the concerns of all sections.
The court subsequently adjourned the matter, observing that it had conveyed its suggestions to the government and would wait to see what steps were taken.
The UGC (Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions) Regulations, 2026, were notified on January 13, 2026 but were stayed by the Supreme Court on January 29. While issuing the interim order, the court expressed reservations about the wording of certain provisions, warning that their ambiguity could allow them to be exploited and potentially have wider social consequences.
The court had directed that the UGC's 2012 regulations on preventing discrimination in higher educational institutions would remain in force until further orders.
The 2026 framework requires universities, colleges and deemed universities to establish equal opportunity centres and equity committees to address complaints of discrimination and strengthen institutional safeguards for students.
However, the regulations have triggered opposing reactions. While organisations representing marginalised communities have supported the proposed safeguards, several upper-caste groups and students have objected to the framework, alleging that it is discriminatory in its approach and could be misused. Protests were also held outside the UGC headquarters in Delhi earlier this week, with students demanding that the regulations be withdrawn.
According to The Hindustan Times, the legal challenge before the Supreme Court centres largely on Regulation 3(c), which defines caste-based discrimination as discrimination based on caste or tribe against members of the Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs) and Other Backward Classes (OBCs).
The petitioners argue that the definition leaves out students belonging to the general category who may also face caste-based discrimination. They have also questioned the absence of adequate safeguards against potentially false complaints.
The challenges have been filed by social activist and entrepreneur Rahul Dewan, post-doctoral researcher Mrityunjay Tiwari and advocate Vineet Jindal. Advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain is representing Dewan, reported HT.
The controversy has its roots in a 2019 petition seeking stronger safeguards against caste-based discrimination on university campuses. The plea was filed by the parents of Rohith Vemula, a research scholar at the University of Hyderabad who died in January 2016, and Payal Tadvi, a medical student who died in May 2019. Both cases had brought allegations of caste-based discrimination in higher educational institutions into national focus.
Although the UGC had introduced anti-discrimination regulations in 2012, concerns over their implementation led to demands for a more effective institutional mechanism to address complaints and ensure equity on campuses.
