Centre Tells Supreme Court It Is Considering Committee to Revisit UGC Regulations on Caste Discrimination

The Central government informed the Supreme Court on Thursday that it is contemplating setting up a committee to revisit the University Grants Commission's recently notified rules aimed at preventing caste discrimination in higher educational institutions.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Central government, submitted before a bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi that the administration is actively examining the issue.

He stressed that the move aims to ensure all student concerns are addressed properly and that no section of the student body feels dissatisfied or apprehensive.

The top court was hearing a batch of petitions challenging the University Grants Commission (Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions) Regulations, 2026, which were notified on January 13 and apply to higher educational institutions across India.

Focus on Student Welfare and Fairness

During the hearing, the Supreme Court bench underscored the necessity of safeguarding the interests of the younger generation and protecting every student equally.

"Why don't you revisit the UGC Regulations?" the Court reportedly asked during the proceedings.

Responding to the bench, Solicitor General Mehta stated that the government has taken a conscious decision to look after every student.

"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, as per Bar and Bench.

Following the submission, the Supreme Court proceeded to defer the hearing in the matter.

Background of the Controversy

The contested regulations require higher educational institutions to establish Equal Opportunity Centres and Equity Committees to implement policies for disadvantaged groups and investigate discrimination complaints.

However, the framework drew severe criticism and sparked protests outside court from individuals arguing that the rules are one-sided. Petitioners before the apex court challenged the regulations on the ground that they exclude general category students from utilizing the institutional grievance redressal mechanism.

Legal challenges argued that denying access to grievance redressal based on caste identity amounts to impermissible state discrimination. Petitioners reportedly contended that the selective framework effectively encourages hostility against non-reserved categories, turning the guidelines into a tool for division rather than equity.

In January this year, the Supreme Court ordered that the controversial regulations be kept in abeyance while examining the validity of the petitions. With the Central government now considering a committee to review the framework, the legal battle over equity regulations in Indian academia enters a fresh phase of administrative reassessment.