The Union government told the Supreme Court on Thursday that it is reconsidering the controversial University Grants Commission guidelines drawn up to address caste discrimination on campuses.&nbsp;Appearing for the Centre and the UGC, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told a bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant that the government was examining the regulations and had not yet decided on the course it would take.&nbsp;“I’m not saying which way it will go, but we are reconsidering it,” Mehta told the court.&nbsp;The bench was hearing a group of petitions that challenge the UGC guidelines, primarily arguing that they refer to caste-based discrimination only against members of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and OBC communities while excluding those from the general category.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/supreme-court-sets-up-5-member-committee-to-probe-cops-use-of-force-violence-at-neet-protests-1787231068889">Supreme Court sets up 5-member committee to probe cops’ use of force, violence at NEET protests</a>&nbsp;The challenge also contends that the regulations are inconsistent with the University Grants Commission Act, 1956, and could undermine the objective of ensuring equal opportunity in higher education.The petitioners have also raised concerns about the scope of the regulations and the possibility of their provisions being misused.&nbsp;On January 29, a bench led by the Chief Justice of India had stayed the University Grants Commission (Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions) Regulations 2026, which were notified on January 13, saying they raise important questions that, if left unexamined, could have “very sweeping consequences” and “divide society”.The bench had issued notices to the Centre and the UGC and directed that the “2012 Regulations will continue in force till further orders”.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/lot-of-boats-coming-through-strait-of-hormuz-says-trump-admits-to-nuisance-of-iranian-drones-1787166376313">‘Lot of boats’ coming through Strait of Hormuz, says Trump, admits to ‘nuisance’ of Iranian drones</a>&nbsp;The bench had said that “upon a prima facie consideration, it appears to us that some of the provisions of the Impugned Regulations suffer from certain ambiguities, and the possibility of their misuse cannot be ruled out”.The bench had also observed orally that the government must constitute a committee of eminent jurists to look into the issue.&nbsp;Justice Joymalya Bagchi, who was also on the bench, said, “We should not go to a stage where we go to segregated schools as in the United States, where coloured children go to one school, and white boys and girls go to another school. The unity of India must be reflected in the educational institutions.”&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iran-slams-trump-s-economic-terrorism-irgc-warns-of-using-more-precise-and-destructive-weapons-1787234880288">Iran slams Trump’s ‘economic terrorism’; IRGC warns of using ‘more precise and destructive’ weapons</a>&nbsp;The court said there might be instances of economically well-off students from a caste harassing others within the same caste, and sought to know how the regulations address such a scenario.“This kind of situation can be exploited by the mischievous elements in the society,” the CJI had said.The petitioners, Mritunjay Tiwari, advocate Vineet Jindal, and Rahul Dewan, have primarily challenged section 3(1)(c) of the regulations.&nbsp;The UGC regulations arise from a 2019 petition filed in the Supreme Court by the mothers of Payal Tadvi and Rohith Vemula, who died by suicide over alleged caste-based discrimination in 2019 and 2016, respectively. They had sought the enforcement of robust anti-discrimination mechanisms across higher education institutions.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/lot-of-boats-coming-through-strait-of-hormuz-says-trump-admits-to-nuisance-of-iranian-drones-1787166376313">‘Lot of boats’ coming through Strait of Hormuz, says Trump, admits to ‘nuisance’ of Iranian drones</a>&nbsp;The court, meanwhile, granted the UGC four weeks to respond to the petitions challenging the regulations and directed it to file a comprehensive counter-affidavit addressing the issues raised by all the petitioners. It directed that copies of the UGC’s affidavit be furnished to all the petitioners, who will then have two weeks to file their rejoinders.The matter will now be taken up after four weeks.

The challenge contends that the regulations are inconsistent with the UGC Act, 1956, and could undermine the objective of ensuring equal opportunity in higher education. The petitioners also raised concerns about the scope of the regulations and the possibility of their misuse.

The Union government told the Supreme Court on Thursday that it is reconsidering the controversial University Grants Commission guidelines drawn up to address caste discrimination on campuses. Appearing for the Centre and the UGC, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told a bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant that the government was examining the regulations and had not yet decided on the course it would take. “I’m not saying which way it will go, but we are reconsidering it,” Mehta told the court. The bench was hearing a group of petitions that challenge the UGC guidelines, primarily arguing that they refer to caste-based discrimination only against members of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and OBC communities while excluding those from the general category. Also Read: Supreme Court sets up 5-member committee to probe cops’ use of force, violence at NEET protests The challenge also contends that the regulations are inconsistent with the University Grants Commission Act, 1956, and could undermine the objective of ensuring equal opportunity in higher education. The petitioners have also raised concerns about the scope of the regulations and the possibility of their provisions being misused. On January 29, a bench led by the Chief Justice of India had stayed the University Grants Commission (Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions) Regulations 2026, which were notified on January 13, saying they raise important questions that, if left unexamined, could have “very sweeping consequences” and “divide society”. The bench had issued notices to the Centre and the UGC and directed that the “2012 Regulations will continue in force till further orders”. Also Read: ‘Lot of boats’ coming through Strait of Hormuz, says Trump, admits to ‘nuisance’ of Iranian drones The bench had said that “upon a prima facie consideration, it appears to us that some of the provisions of the Impugned Regulations suffer from certain ambiguities, and the possibility of their misuse cannot be ruled out”. The bench had also observed orally that the government must constitute a committee of eminent jurists to look into the issue. Justice Joymalya Bagchi, who was also on the bench, said, “We should not go to a stage where we go to segregated schools as in the United States, where coloured children go to one school, and white boys and girls go to another school. The unity of India must be reflected in the educational institutions.” Also Read: Iran slams Trump’s ‘economic terrorism’; IRGC warns of using ‘more precise and destructive’ weapons The court said there might be instances of economically well-off students from a caste harassing others within the same caste, and sought to know how the regulations address such a scenario. “This kind of situation can be exploited by the mischievous elements in the society,” the CJI had said. The petitioners, Mritunjay Tiwari, advocate Vineet Jindal, and Rahul Dewan, have primarily challenged section 3(1)(c) of the regulations. The UGC regulations arise from a 2019 petition filed in the Supreme Court by the mothers of Payal Tadvi and Rohith Vemula, who died by suicide over alleged caste-based discrimination in 2019 and 2016, respectively. They had sought the enforcement of robust anti-discrimination mechanisms across higher education institutions. Also Read: ‘Lot of boats’ coming through Strait of Hormuz, says Trump, admits to ‘nuisance’ of Iranian drones The court, meanwhile, granted the UGC four weeks to respond to the petitions challenging the regulations and directed it to file a comprehensive counter-affidavit addressing the issues raised by all the petitioners. It directed that copies of the UGC’s affidavit be furnished to all the petitioners, who will then have two weeks to file their rejoinders. The matter will now be taken up after four weeks.

The challenge contends that the regulations are inconsistent with the UGC Act, 1956, and could undermine the objective of ensuring equal opportunity in higher education. The petitioners also raised concerns about the scope of the regulations and the possibility of their misuse.

UGC caste discrimination guidelines being reconsidered: Centre tells Supreme Court

Students from several colleges across Delhi staged a protest outside the University Grants Commission (UGC) headquarters on Tuesday (January 27), opposing the recently notified “Equity Regulations,” which they claim could disrupt campus life. Braving rain and heavy police barricades, around 100 students gathered to demand that the rules be withdrawn. After the demonstration, a delegation submitted a memorandum to UGC officials. “UGC officials agreed to discuss a few points from our list of demands,” Alokit Tripathi, a PhD student from Delhi University, was quoted as saying to news agency PTI.<h2>What do the new rules say?</h2>On January 13, the UGC notified the Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions Regulations, 2026. The framework is intended to prevent caste-based discrimination in universities and colleges. The regulations mandate the creation of Equity Committees, Equity Squads, helplines, and monitoring systems to handle complaints, particularly those involving students from Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Other Backward Classes (OBC).&nbsp;The move follows a Supreme Court directive connected to a plea seeking stricter enforcement of the UGC’s 2012 anti-discrimination guidelines. The petition was filed by the mothers of Rohith Vemula and Payal Tadvi, both students who died by suicide after allegedly facing caste-based harassment.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/why-the-india-eu-mother-of-all-trade-deal-is-bad-news-for-daddy-trump-1769513199147">Why the India-EU ‘mother of all’ trade deal is bad news for US President Donald Trump</a><h2>Why are students opposing it?</h2>Protesters argue that the regulations presume guilt and offer insufficient protection against false accusations. Tripathi said the rules are “excessively harsh” and create an environment where anyone on campus could be labelled a victim without due process. He added that Equity Squads would result in constant monitoring of students, likening campus life to a surveillance system. Participants from several Delhi colleges joined the protest.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/bangladesh-scraps-india-linked-economic-zone-eyes-defence-park-1769518232530/embed">https://www.wionews.com/videos/bangladesh-scraps-india-linked-economic-zone-eyes-defence-park-1769518232530/embed</a>&nbsp;Harsh Pandey, a Political Science undergraduate from Sri Venkateswara College, criticised the UGC for introducing the rules without wide consultation. He claimed the regulations could enable “reverse discrimination” and unfairly target innocent students. Meanwhile, the All India Students’ Association (AISA), a Left-backed student group, expressed support for the regulations, especially the inclusion of OBCs under equity protections. However, it raised concerns about vague definitions of discrimination and unclear guidelines on the representation of marginalised groups and women in Equity Committees.<h2>Government response</h2>Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan attempted to reassure critics, saying that the regulations would not be misused and would be implemented fairly. Tripathi later said UGC officials agreed to consider including a member from the general category in Equity Squads and promised to address concerns within 15 days. He also claimed officials indicated that complainants’ identities would not remain confidential to deter false allegations.

Explained: Why students are protesting outside UGC headquarters over anti-caste rules

Students from several colleges across Delhi staged a protest outside the University Grants Commission (UGC) headquarters on Tuesday (January 27), opposing the recently notified “Equity Regulations,” which they claim could disrupt campus life. Braving rain and heavy police barricades, around 100 students gathered to demand that the rules be withdrawn. After the demonstration, a delegation submitted a memorandum to UGC officials. “UGC officials agreed to discuss a few points from our list of demands,” Alokit Tripathi, a PhD student from Delhi University, was quoted as saying to news agency PTI. What do the new rules say? On January 13, the UGC notified the Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions Regulations, 2026. The framework is intended to prevent caste-based discrimination in universities and colleges. The regulations mandate the creation of Equity Committees, Equity Squads, helplines, and monitoring systems to handle complaints, particularly those involving students from Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Other Backward Classes (OBC). The move follows a Supreme Court directive connected to a plea seeking stricter enforcement of the UGC’s 2012 anti-discrimination guidelines. The petition was filed by the mothers of Rohith Vemula and Payal Tadvi, both students who died by suicide after allegedly facing caste-based harassment. Also Read: Why the India-EU ‘mother of all’ trade deal is bad news for US President Donald Trump Why are students opposing it? Protesters argue that the regulations presume guilt and offer insufficient protection against false accusations. Tripathi said the rules are “excessively harsh” and create an environment where anyone on campus could be labelled a victim without due process. He added that Equity Squads would result in constant monitoring of students, likening campus life to a surveillance system. Participants from several Delhi colleges joined the protest. https://www.wionews.com/videos/bangladesh-scraps-india-linked-economic-zone-eyes-defence-park-1769518232530/embed Harsh Pandey, a Political Science undergraduate from Sri Venkateswara College, criticised the UGC for introducing the rules without wide consultation. He claimed the regulations could enable “reverse discrimination” and unfairly target innocent students. Meanwhile, the All India Students’ Association (AISA), a Left-backed student group, expressed support for the regulations, especially the inclusion of OBCs under equity protections. However, it raised concerns about vague definitions of discrimination and unclear guidelines on the representation of marginalised groups and women in Equity Committees. Government response Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan attempted to reassure critics, saying that the regulations would not be misused and would be implemented fairly. Tripathi later said UGC officials agreed to consider including a member from the general category in Equity Squads and promised to address concerns within 15 days. He also claimed officials indicated that complainants’ identities would not remain confidential to deter false allegations.

Delhi students protested UGC’s new equity rules, alleging misuse and lack of safeguards, while others backed the move to curb caste discrimination

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UGC caste discrimination guidelines being reconsidered: Centre tells Supreme Court

Explained: Why students are protesting outside UGC office over anti-caste rules