A major controversy has erupted in India after UGC (University Grants Commission) released a new set of regulations under the 'Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions Regulations 2026' for grievance redressal and supporting disadvantaged groups across universities and colleges.
The new UGC regulations have sparked anger and backlash from the students belonging to upper castes, who also staged a demonstration outside the UGC office on Tuesday.
The new UGC rules, implemented on January 15, 2026, aim to eradicate caste-based discrimination within campuses and provide a safe academic environment for students from marginalized communities.
The seriousness of the controversy can be gauged from the fact that the UGC matter has now reached the Supreme Court of India. While the Ministry of Education was calling it a major step towards campus reforms, dissenting voices from universities across the country have termed it 'discriminatory' and 'incomplete'.
The controversy took a fresh twist as a senior bureaucrat and a BJP youth wing leader resigned from their posts on Monday, calling the regulations “discriminatory and draconian”.
According to UGC’s new regulations, every higher education institution would have to establish an equal opportunity centre, comprising representatives from Other Backward Classes (OBCs), Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), Persons with Disabilities (PwDs), as well as Women.
The new set of regulations, ever since unveiled, set off a storm as well as a showdown on various public platforms, with leaders and activists labelling it as "anti-General category students" and claiming that it was aimed at weaponising the existing laws against upper-class students, thereby turning the campuses into potential battlegrounds.
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has also reacted to the ongoing controversy. The Union Minister, speaking to newsmen said, "I assure everyone that there won’t be any discrimination or harassment in the name of the new UGC regulation. No one can misuse the law."
The new regulations replace the UGC (Promotion of Equity in Higher Educational Institutions) Regulations, 2012, which was largely advisory in nature.
In the new provisions, key provisions include-
a) institutions must set up an Equal Opportunity Centre (EOC), an Equity Committee, and Equity Squads to address discrimination
b) a 24-hour 'Equity Helpline' and Equity Ambassadors will be appointed
c) UGC will monitor compliance, and non-compliant institutions risk losing funding and other benefits.
The EOC will implement policies for disadvantaged groups, liaison with district authorities and the police, and provide legal help when needed. According to reports, EOC will have five faculty members, with no reservations. If a college doesn't have enough faculty, the affiliated university’s EOC will handle it.
The Equity Committee, headed by the institution’s head, will have ten members, with half from the reserved categories (SC, ST, OBC, PwD, and women). They will meet within 24 hours of a complaint, submit findings in 15 days, and initiate action in 7 more days.
Equity Squads will monitor campuses, especially vulnerable areas, prevent discrimination, and respond to complaints. Besides that institutions must also set up a 24-hour Equity Helpline and appoint Equity Ambassadors to promote equity.
The Supreme Court of India on Wednesday agreed for urgent listing of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) challenging the newly notified anti-discrimination regulations of the University Grants Commission (UGC).
The plea was mentioned before a bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant. The petitioner argued that the new regulations are discriminatory towards General Category students.
Referring to the widespread uproar over the contentious rules, the bench responded, "We are also aware of what's happening...It will be listed...You cure defects [in the PIL]".
