The Union government informed the Supreme Court on Thursday that it is contemplating the formation of a committee to review the controversial University Grants Commission (UGC) regulations concerning caste-based discrimination and ragging in higher educational institutions. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing on behalf of the Centre, conveyed the proposal to a bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and comprising Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana.
The announcement comes as part of ongoing judicial proceedings regarding the UGC (Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions) Regulations, 2026, which were notified on January 13. The Supreme Court had previously ordered that these regulations be kept in abeyance in January, pending a detailed examination of several petitions that challenged the legal validity and scope of the framework.
During the hearing, the Supreme Court bench emphasized the necessity of ensuring the protection of all students within the university system. The judges highlighted the importance of implementing concrete measures to effectively address instances of caste-based discrimination and ragging. “Why don’t you revisit the UGC regulations?” the bench asked. Responding to the court, the Solicitor General stated that the government is committed to ensuring that every student is looked after and that no section of the student population feels dissatisfied or apprehensive.
The primary point of contention surrounding the 2026 regulations involves the grievance redressal mechanism established to handle claims of caste-based discrimination. Petitioners have argued that the current framework effectively excludes students belonging to the general category from accessing institutional protection. According to the legal challenge, by limiting the scope of these grievance systems to specific student groups—namely those from Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes—the regulations deny students outside these categories institutional recourse, which the petitioners claim amounts to impermissible discrimination by the state.
The regulations were initially introduced with the objective of fostering equity on campuses. They mandated that higher education institutions set up Equal Opportunity Centres and specific Equity Committees tasked with implementing policies for disadvantaged groups and investigating discrimination complaints. However, the implementation of these rules triggered widespread debate, with some sections alleging that the provisions were one-sided and could potentially be misused against students in educational settings.
The Supreme Court’s decision to keep the rules in abeyance earlier this year followed concerns regarding the specific wording and the definitions used within the regulations. The bench indicated that while the objective of addressing discrimination is essential, the scope of the coverage remains a point of judicial concern. The petitioners are seeking formal directions to prevent the implementation of the regulations in their existing form, arguing that all students must have access to a universal grievance redressal system.
The Centre has now requested additional time to further examine the provisions of the regulations. The Supreme Court has consequently deferred the hearing to allow the government to proceed with its proposal to constitute a committee. This committee is expected to revisit the framework to reconcile the government’s goals of curbing discrimination with the legal objections raised by the petitioners regarding inclusivity and fairness for all student categories.
As the matter progresses, the central challenge remains balancing the need for effective, targeted safeguards against systemic discrimination with the constitutional requirements of non-discriminatory policy implementation. The outcome of this review will determine the future of the equity regulations and how higher education institutions across India will manage student grievances in the coming academic cycles.
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