Mooting committee to re-examine UGC's equity rules: Centre tells SC
What's the story
The central government is considering setting up a committee to review the University Grants Commission's (UGC) new regulations aimed at preventing caste discrimination in educational institutions. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the government, told a Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on Thursday that the government is examining the matter with a view to ensure that students' concerns are addressed and no section feels dissatisfied or apprehensive.
Court concerns
'Every student should be taken care of'
The Supreme Court bench also highlighted the importance of taking care of every student.
"Why don't you revisit the UGC Regulations?" the court asked.
Mehta responded, "The government has taken a decision that every student should be taken care of. Nobody should have any apprehension. Nobody should feel dissatisfied."
The Centre sought more time to look into the regulations, after which the court deferred further hearings in this matter.
The case will be heard after four weeks.
Regulation details
UGC's 2026 regulations on caste discrimination
The UGC (Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions) Regulations, 2026, notified on January 13, mandate higher educational institutions to set up Equal Opportunity Centers and Equity Committees.
These bodies are to implement policies for disadvantaged groups and address discrimination complaints.
However, the rules have been challenged in court for allegedly excluding "general category" students from grievance redressal mechanisms.
Legal challenge
Petitioners argue regulations are exclusionary and divisive
Petitioners have contended that these regulations are exclusionary, as they deny grievance redressal to students outside SC/ST and OBC categories.
They argue this selective framework encourages hostility against non-reserved categories, making the regulations a tool for division rather than equity.
They said directions should be issued to restrain the implementation of the regulations and for a declaration that denial of access to the grievance redressal mechanism on the basis of caste identity amounts to "impermissible State discrimination."
Case
Case details
The 2026 regulations came out of Abeda Salim Tadvi v Union of India.
In 2019, a petition was filed by mothers of Rohith Vemula and Payal Tadvi, who died by suicide after allegedly facing caste discrimination on campuses.
The petition criticized the authorities' failure to implement the UGC's 2012 equity regulations.
In January, the UGC notified the regulations, superseding the 2012 framework.
However, the SC stayed the 2026 regulations and directed the 2012 regulations to operate in the interim.