Supreme Court puts UGC's new equity rules on hold—for now
The Supreme Court has paused the University Grants Commission's (UGC) 2026 equity regulations, which were set to change how colleges handle inclusion and discrimination.
This temporary stay, announced by Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi, will last until at least March 19.
Why are students and courts concerned?
The new rules aimed to boost fairness in higher education but sparked backlash—students argued they unfairly left out general category students from key committees.
Many felt this could actually create more division instead of less.
Protests broke out at campuses like Delhi University, with calls for a nationwide strike.
The court said some parts of the regulations seemed "vague and capable of misuse," while Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan promised there'd be no misuse.
For now, the debate over what real equity looks like in colleges is on pause—but definitely not over.