Centre to review UGC equity rules, tells Supreme Court; hearing put off by 4 weeks

By TUF News Desk · Published 5 November 2026 · 3 min read

Fact-checked against 2+ independent sources · Editorial policy

The Centre told the Supreme Court on Thursday, November 5, that it is considering a committee to revisit the UGC’s Equity Regulations, 2026. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told a bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant that the government wants a framework under which no section of students feels dissatisfied or apprehensive.

The bench pushed the government on the point. “Why don’t you revisit the UGC Regulations?” the court asked. Mehta replied that the government was contemplating appointing a committee. The Chief Justice said the interests of every student had to be protected, and that the younger generation had to be taken care of.

What the rules say

The UGC notified the Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions Regulations, 2026, on January 13. They apply to every higher education institution in the country and require each one to set up an Equal Opportunity Centre and an Equity Committee to handle discrimination complaints.

The provision drawing the challenge is Regulation 3(1)(c), which defines caste-based discrimination as discrimination against members of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes. Petitioners from general categories say that definition leaves them outside the grievance process. They have asked the court to restrain the regulations in their present form and to hold that denying grievance redressal on the basis of caste identity amounts to impermissible state discrimination.

The court stayed the regulations on January 29, observing that some provisions looked prima facie vague and open to misuse. It directed that the UGC’s 2012 regulations would continue to apply until further orders. That position has not changed, and the 2026 rules remain on hold.

How the case reached this point

The matter is part of Abeda Salim Tadvi v. Union of India, a petition filed in 2019 by the mothers of Rohith Vemula and Payal Tadvi, who died by suicide after alleged caste-based discrimination in their institutions. The petition sought stronger safeguards against discrimination in higher education.

The Centre had already told the court in August that the rules were under reconsideration. Outside the court, the regulations have drawn protests, and on November 1 the RSS publicity chief Sunil Ambekar called them “unbalanced” and asked that any future decision be fair.

What happens next

The bench has adjourned the petitions for four weeks. The Centre has not yet announced the committee, its members, or its terms of reference, and the court has not lifted its January stay. Until one of those things changes, the 2012 regulations continue to govern discrimination complaints on campuses, and the 2026 rules stay paused. Students can check the regulations on the UGC’s official website and the case status on the Supreme Court’s website.

Frequently asked questions

What did the Centre tell the Supreme Court on November 5, 2026?

It said it is considering a committee to revisit the UGC Equity Regulations, 2026, so that no section of students feels dissatisfied or apprehensive.

What are the UGC Equity Regulations, 2026?

Rules notified on January 13, 2026, requiring every university and college to set up an Equal Opportunity Centre and an Equity Committee for discrimination complaints. The Supreme Court has kept them on hold.

Why did the Supreme Court stay the 2026 regulations?

A bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi found some provisions prima facie vague and capable of misuse, and ordered the 2012 regulations to continue until further orders.

Which rules apply on campuses now?

The 2012 UGC regulations. They remain in force while the 2026 rules stay paused and the review committee is awaited.

Frequently asked questions

Sources: Bar and Bench, News18, Daily Pioneer