Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin.
Credit: PTI Photo
Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Thursday welcomed the UGC (Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions) Regulations, 2026 , saying it will help reform a higher education system scarred by deep rooted discrimination and institutional apathy.
As seen during the implementation of reservations based on the Mandal Commission recommendations, the present UGC rollback backlash is driven by the same regressive mindset. The Union Government must not allow such pressure to dilute these regulations or their core objectives,” he said.
Since the BJP came to power at the Union level, there has been a visible rise in student suicides within Indian HEIs particularly among SC and ST students, Stalin said, adding that this has been accompanied by repeated attacks and harassment targeting students from South India, Kashmir, and minority communities.
“In this context, equity safeguards are not a matter of choice but an unavoidable necessity,” he said.
Cases like the suicide of Rohith Vemula, where Vice Chancellors themselves faced allegations, make it difficult to see how Equity Committees chaired by institutional heads can function independently, especially when many higher education institutions are led by RSS supporters, Stalin added.
If the Union BJP Government is serious about preventing student deaths, ending discrimination, and reducing dropout rates among students from backward communities, these regulations must not only be strengthened but also revised to address their structural gaps, and enforced with real accountability, the Chief Minister added.