Supreme Court stays new UGC equity regulations, 2012 rules to continue

The Supreme Court on Thursday stayed the University Grants Commission (Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions) Regulations, 2026, amid growing protests and criticism across the country.

The new regulations, notified on January 23, were challenged by multiple petitioners who argued that they are arbitrary, exclusionary, discriminatory, and violative of the Constitution and the University Grants Commission Act, 1956.

While issuing the interim order, the Court said that the 2012 UGC regulations would continue to remain in force for the time being. The Bench observed that Regulation 3(C), which defines caste-based discrimination, suffers from vagueness and could be misused. “The language needs to be re-modified,” the Court noted.

The 2026 regulations were introduced with the stated aim of curbing caste-based discrimination in colleges and universities. They mandate the creation of special committees and helplines in institutions to address complaints, particularly from students belonging to Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Other Backward Classes (OBCs).

However, the new framework has triggered criticism, especially from students belonging to the general category, who contend that the rules could result in discrimination against them. Protests were reported from several campuses, including Delhi University’s North Campus, where students demanded the immediate withdrawal of the regulations, alleging that the rules promote division rather than equality. Similar demonstrations were also held in Lucknow.

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan earlier sought to address concerns, asserting that the regulations would not be misused and that their implementation would not lead to discrimination. “I assure everyone there will be no discrimination and no one can misuse the law,” he said.

The controversy has also taken a political turn. Shyam Sundar Tripathi, Vice President of the BJP Kisan Morcha from Rae Bareli’s Salon constituency, resigned from his post, expressing dissatisfaction with the new UGC policies. In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he described the regulations as divisive and said he could not support them.