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Centre tells Supreme Court it may set up panel to revisit UGC caste discrimination rules
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said the government wants every student protected, after the Chief Justice's bench asked why the equity regulations could not be looked at again.
Key points
- The Centre told the Supreme Court it is considering a committee to review the UGC equity regulations.
- The bench of CJI Surya Kant asked: "Why don't you revisit the UGC Regulations?"
- The rules, notified on 13 January, have been kept in abeyance by the court since earlier this year.
The Centre told the Supreme Court on Thursday that it is considering a committee to review the University Grants Commission’s rules against caste discrimination on campuses, after the bench asked whether the regulations could be looked at afresh.
A bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi was hearing a clutch of pleas against the UGC (Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions) Regulations, 2026. “Why don’t you revisit the UGC Regulations?” the bench asked, adding that it was essential to protect the interest of every student and to make sure the younger generation was looked after.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said the government was examining the issue so that no section feels dissatisfied or apprehensive. “The government has taken a decision that every student should be taken care of,” he told the court. The bench noted his submission and deferred the hearing.
What the rules say
The regulations were notified on 13 January and apply to every higher education institution in the country. They require colleges and universities to set up Equal Opportunity Centres and Equity Committees and to inquire into complaints of discrimination.
The petitioners object that the grievance mechanism leaves out “General Category” students, denying protection to those who are not from the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes or Other Backward Classes. Earlier this year the Supreme Court ordered the regulations kept in abeyance while it heard the challenge.
A review committee, if the government sets one up, would give the Centre a way to rework the rules before the court rules on them.