The Supreme Court has paused UGC's new regulations, the next hearing will be on March 19. The UGC's new regulations has created a wide spread controversy as critics argued that it was one-sided and discriminatory against general category students. The petitions against UGC's new regulations have been filed by Advocate Vineet Jindal, Mrityunjay Tiwari and Rahul Dewan. SC hearing on UGC regulations Live
Here's what happened in the court-
CJI
The CJI has stayed UGC's new regulations. The CJI asked SG Tushar mehta to think of a committee of some eminent persons to look into it so that the society can grow together and with no such differentiators
Adv. Vishnu Jain
"This definition under section 3c is completely hit by Article 14 when discrimination is already defined and it cannot be assumed that discrimination is only against one segment," argued Advocate Vishnu Jain.
Adv. Vishnu Jain is currently arguing. The advocate has sought a stay on UGC's new regulations. "I am seeking a stay on this definition of caste based discrimination. Statute cannot presume discrimination will be against only a particular section," the advocate argued.
UGC has recently set a new set of regulations - Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions Regulations, 2026 to constitute a structured framework for grievance redressal and support disadvantaged groups across universities and colleges. Meanwhile, UGC's new regulations has created an uproar among students, teachers and social groups with anguish expressed over how the terminology - "Caste-based discrimination" is defined in the UGC regulations.
As per the UGC's new rules, every higher education institution should establish an equal opportunity centre and will coordinate with Civil society groups, police and district administration, faculty members, staff, local media, district administration and police. The centre will coordinate with District and State Legal Services Authorities to facilitate legal aid.
The equal opportunity centre constituted by the head of the institution will have representations from Other Backward Classes (OBCs), Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), Persons with Disabilities (PwDs), Women.
Under UGC's new regulations, the centre will be responsible for implementation of equity-related policies and programmes, to provide academic, financial guidance to disadvantaged groups and to coordinate with authorities and civil society.
Meanwhile, the UGC's new regulations has created an uproar over social media, with anguish expressed over how the terminology - "Caste-based discrimination" is defined in the UGC regulation. "Caste-based discrimination means discrimination only on the basis of caste or tribe against the members of the scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, and other backward classes," as mentioned on the UGC regulations. #ShameonUGC is one of the top trends on micro blogging platform - X as netizens are criticising the UGC's new regulations as anti-general category laws.
"The new UGC “Equity” Regulations 2026 shamelessly brand General Category students as perpetrators of violence on campuses—simply for being born into non-reserved families! Equity committees stacked against us, no protection from false claims, and campuses turning into caste battlegrounds.
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