The Supreme Court on Thursday put on hold the recently notified University Grants Commission (UGC) regulations after multiple petitions alleged that the framework adopts an exclusionary approach to caste-based discrimination and leaves out certain social categories from institutional safeguards.
As per details, a bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi issued notices to the Union Government and the UGC while hearing pleas challenging the validity of the regulations.
The disputed regulations, notified on January 13, require all higher educational institutions to establish “Equity Committees” aimed at addressing discrimination-related grievances and promoting inclusivity on campuses.
Under the University Grants Commission (Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions) Regulations, 2026, the committees are mandated to include representatives from Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), Other Backward Classes (OBC), persons with disabilities and women.
The 2026 regulations replace the earlier 2012 framework, which was largely advisory and lacked mandatory enforcement mechanisms.
Petitioners have contended that the new rules narrowly define caste-based discrimination as discrimination faced only by SC, ST and OBC communities, thereby excluding individuals from the general category who may also be subjected to caste-based bias or harassment.
By restricting grievance redressal mechanisms to select categories, the pleas argue, the regulations deny equal institutional protection to non-reserved communities.
Meanwhile, protests have erupted at several places, with student organisations and groups opposing the regulations and demanding their immediate withdrawal.
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