Centre tells SC UGC equity regulations on caste discrimination under reconsideration
NEW DELHI: The Centre on Thursday informed the Supreme Court that the 2026 University Grants Commission's equity (impartiality) regulations to ensure preventing caste-based discrimination on campuses is under reconsideration.
NEW DELHI: The Centre on Thursday informed the Supreme Court that the 2026 University Grants Commission's equity (impartiality) regulations to ensure preventing caste-based discrimination on campuses is under reconsideration.
What happened
After prima facie observing that they were vague and capable of being misused, on January 29, the apex court had in its order directed that the UGC (Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions) Regulations, 2026, be kept in abeyance, and it had stayed the operation of the 2026 regulations. Senior Advocate Indira Jaising, appearing for the mothers of Rohit Vemula and Payal Tadvi who died by suicide after facing caste discrimination, submitted that a timeline may be fixed for the Union's decision. The case stems from the institutional suicides of Payal Tadvi and Rohith Vemula. It triggered concern over caste-based discrimination faced by students from marginalised communities in higher educational institutions. Their mothers, Abeda Salim Tadvi and Radhika Vemula, approached the Supreme Court through a PIL seeking stronger safeguards against the alleged discrimination and harassment of students belonging to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and other marginalised communities. Notably, the Centre asserted that the Regulations were formulated with the objective of promoting "equity" (impartiality) in higher education institutions. To these Regulations, certain members of non-reserved categories are seeking a roll back of the Regulations, whereas the reserved categories are opposing any roll back.
After these Regulations, petitions have been filed in the Supreme Court contending that the Regulations promote discrimination against "general classes".Some petitioners specifically challenge Regulation 3(1)(c). It defines "caste-based discrimination", contending that the provision should be "caste-neutral".
The bottom line
For now, centre tells SC UGC equity regulations on caste discrimination under reconsideration remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.
