Centre Considers Committee to Review UGC Campus Equity Rules
The Union government informed the Supreme Court of India on Thursday, November 5, 2026, that it is contemplating appointing a special committee to revisit the University Grants Commission's 2026 campus equity regulations. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told a Bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi that the government is examining widespread concerns to ensure no student section feels dissatisfied or apprehensive.
Regulatory History and Article 142 Interim Order
Notified in January 2026 following stakeholder consultations, the higher education equity guidelines superseded the preexisting 2012 regulatory framework across universities. The apex court stayed the 2026 regulations on January 29, 2026, observing that the rules appeared prima facie vague, could have sweeping consequences, and risked potential misuse. Exercising powers under Article 142 of the Constitution, the top court directed that the 2012 Equity Regulations would continue to operate in the interim so that complainants are not left without remedies. Chief Justice Surya Kant questioned the government during the hearing, asking why the administration should not revisit the UGC regulatory provisions. The University Grants Commission (Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions) Regulations, 2026, were officially notified on January 13, 2026, prior to being challenged before the Supreme Court under Article 32, according to Verdictum.
Mehta submitted that the government resolved to protect the broader interests of younger generations while addressing grievances from diverse campus groups.
Legal Dispute Over Discrimination Definition
Disputes around the updated policy focused on sub-clause 3(1)(c), which identified caste-based prejudice specifically as unfair bias directed toward Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes. Petitioners representing general category students argued that limiting the legal definition to reserved groups was exclusionary and failed to protect all students from bias. Conversely, Dalit and marginalized community advocates defended targeted protections, arguing that the regulations directly addressed structural discrimination on university campuses. Petitioners challenging the UGC 2026 regulations cited December 2022 wall defacement at Jawaharlal Nehru University featuring anti-Brahmin and anti-Baniya slogans as an illustration of unaddressed campus hostility against non-reserved groups, according to Verdictum.
Legal counsel representing student groups had asserted that keeping the protective rules in abeyance weakened safeguards sought against discrimination in Higher Education Institutions.
Petitions by Vemula and Tadvi Families
The legal proceedings originated from Abeda Salim Tadvi v. Union of India and connected petitions filed in 2019 by the mothers of Rohith Vemula and Payal Tadvi. Rohith Vemula, a doctoral researcher at Hyderabad Central University, and Payal Tadvi, a tribal medical student at TN Topiwala National Medical College, died by suicide in 2016 and 2019 following allegations of campus caste prejudice. Senior legal counsel representing the bereaved mothers challenged the January stay order, maintaining that the 2026 rules established necessary remedies against bias. Following the government's submission regarding committee deliberations, the Supreme Court adjourned hearing the batch of petitions for four weeks.