Centre to set up panel to revisit UGC equity regulations, Supreme Court told

“Why don’t you revisit these regulations so that the next generation is taken care of? They should protect the interest of every student,” the bench told the government

The Union government on Thursday told the Supreme Court that it is contemplating setting up a committee to reconsider the University Grants Commission’s (UGC) 2026 equity regulations, which the court stayed in January over concerns that their vague provisions could be misused and have “dangerous impacts” on society.

Demonstrators carry burning torches and hold a banner demanding a rollback of the University Grants Commission's (UGC) 2026 Equity Regulations during a protest rally, in Kanpur (PTI)

The submission came after a bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and justice Joymalya Bagchi advised the Centre to revisit the regulations to ensure that the framework protects the interests of all students and does not leave any section feeling apprehensive or dissatisfied.

“Why don’t you revisit these regulations so that the next generation is taken care of? They should protect the interest of every student,” the bench told solicitor general Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Union government.

Mehta informed the court that the government was contemplating constituting a committee to revisit the regulations and was examining the issue to ensure that “no section feels dissatisfied or apprehensive”.

Adjourning the matter, the bench said: “We have given them advice. Let us see what they do.”

At the time, the top court expressed concern that the framework, in its existing form, was vague and capable of being exploited by mischievous elements, and warned that it could divide society and have “dangerous impacts”. It directed that the UGC’s 2012 anti-discrimination regulations would continue to operate in the interim to ensure that students facing discrimination were not left without a remedy.

The 2026 regulations mandate universities, colleges and deemed institutions to set up equal opportunity centres and equity committees to address complaints of discrimination and promote inclusion in higher education institutions.

While the framework has been welcomed by groups representing marginalised students, it has faced opposition from several upper-caste organisations and students, who have argued that its provisions are one-sided and susceptible to misuse. On Tuesday, a group of upper-caste students also protested outside the UGC headquarters in Delhi, demanding its withdrawal.

The petitions before the Supreme Court have primarily challenged Regulation 3(c), which defines “caste-based discrimination” as discrimination “only on the basis of caste or tribe” against members of the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes. The petitioners contend that the definition excludes students from the general category who may face discrimination and that the regulations do not provide an adequate mechanism to address false complaints.

Social activist and entrepreneur Rahul Dewan, post-doctoral researcher Mrityunjay Tiwari, and advocate Vineet Jindal filed the challenges. Advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain appeared for Dewan.

The regulations trace their origins to a 2019 petition before the Supreme Court seeking stronger safeguards against caste-based discrimination in higher educational institutions. 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 after allegedly facing caste-based discrimination in her college.

The petitioners pointed out that although the UGC framed equity regulations in 2012, their implementation remained inadequate, prompting the court to seek a stronger institutional mechanism to address discrimination on campus.