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The development came as Supreme Court stressed the need to protect the interests of all students and called for steps to address caste discrimination and ragging in universities
Supreme Court of India (Photo: PTI)
The Centre is considering setting up a committee to revisit the University Grants Commission’s (UGC) controversial regulations aimed at preventing caste-based discrimination in higher education institutions, the government told the Supreme Court on Thursday.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, informed a bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, and comprising Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana, that the government was contemplating constituting a committee to examine the concerns surrounding the rules.
The development came as the Supreme Court stressed the need to protect the interests of all students and called for concrete steps to address caste discrimination and ragging in universities.
“Why don’t you revisit the UGC regulations?” the bench asked. “The government has taken a decision that every student should be taken care of. Nobody should have any apprehension. Nobody should feel dissatisfied. We are also considering the interests of the younger generation. The government is contemplating appointing a committee,” Mehta told the court.
The Centre sought more time to examine the regulations, following which the court deferred the hearing.
WHY ARE THE UGC REGULATIONS BEING CHALLENGED?
The case concerns the UGC (Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions) Regulations, 2026, which were notified on January 13 and apply to higher educational institutions across the country.
The regulations were introduced to prevent discrimination and promote equity on campuses. They require higher education institutions to establish Equal Opportunity Centres and Equity Committees to implement policies for disadvantaged groups and look into complaints of discrimination.
However, the rules have faced legal challenges from petitioners who argue that their provisions exclude students belonging to the general category from the grievance redressal mechanism for caste-based discrimination.
The petitioners have contended that the framework denies students outside the Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe and Other Backward Classes categories access to institutional protection and grievance redressal. They have sought directions to prevent the implementation of the regulations in their present form, arguing that denying such access on the basis of caste identity amounts to impermissible discrimination by the state.
The rules have also triggered protests, with sections of upper-caste groups alleging that the provisions are one-sided and could be misused against them in educational institutions.
SUPREME COURT HAD PUT THE RULES ON HOLD IN JANUARY
The Supreme Court had, in January, ordered that the 2026 regulations be kept in abeyance while it examined the petitions challenging them.
The court’s intervention followed concerns over the scope and wording of the provisions, including the definition of caste-based discrimination and the categories of students covered by the grievance redressal framework.
The latest hearing brings the regulations back into focus, with the Centre now considering a committee to examine the objections and revisit the framework.
The larger challenge before the government is to ensure that safeguards against caste-based discrimination and ragging are effective, while addressing concerns that the rules could leave some students without adequate protection.
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Ask News18The Centre informed the Supreme Court that it is contemplating setting up a committee to revisit and review the controversial University Grants Commission (UGC) regulations aimed at preventing caste-based discrimination in higher education institutions.
Ask News18November 05, 2026, 14:53 IST
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