UGC Equity Regulation 2026: The University Grants Commission (UGC) released the Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions Regulations, 2026, on January 17, 2026. The Regulations are a new set of mandatory rules designed to eliminate caste-based and other forms of discrimination across Indian campuses. The core objective of the UGC Equity Regulation 2026 is to eradicate bias based on religion, race, gender, place of birth, caste, or disability.
As a result, the Equal Opportunity Centres (EOC) will be formed in every institution to provide academic/financial guidance to disadvantaged students. Equity Committees will be established under the EOC to address complaints of discrimination. This will only apply to students representing SCs, STs, OBCs, women, and persons with disabilities. The UGC 2026 Equity Regulation case is currently in the Supreme Court primarily because of a legal challenge against the exclusion of "General Category" students from its specific anti-discrimination protections.
UGC Equity Regulation 2026: Ongoing Controversy Highlights
The UGC Equity Regulations 2026 have sparked significant debate and legal challenges in the Supreme Court. Important highlights related to the ongoing controversy are listed below.
- Critics argue that the UGC Equity Regulation 2026 are biased by allegedly excluding "General Category" students from equivalent protections.
- Petitioners, including advocate Vineet Jindal, argue that Regulation 3(c) is unconstitutional because it defines "caste-based discrimination" only in the context of selected castes.
- The plea contends that by not including general category students in this definition, the law creates a "hierarchy of protection" and denies them equal access to grievance redressal mechanisms, violating Article 14 (Right to Equality) of the Constitution.
- Large-scale protests have erupted at the UGC headquarters and various universities, with some calling the regulations "black laws".
- On January 28, 2026, a bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant agreed to urgently list the new petition for hearing, acknowledging the widespread controversy and campus protests currently taking place across India.
- Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan assured that the guidelines will not be misused and that they are intended purely for campus safety under Supreme Court supervision.