SC to hear plea against UGC's regulations on equity on Thursday

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday decided to take up on January 29 pleas challenging the University Grants Commission’s order on ‘Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Regulations, 2026’, which restricted caste-based discrimination grievance mechanisms to SC/ ST and OBC categories only.

A bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi would consider the petition filed by Rahul Dewan and others, Mritunjay Tiwari and Vineet Jindal on Thursday.

The plea filed in the top court alleged that the Commission has adopted a non-inclusionary definition of caste-based discrimination and excludes certain categories from institutional protection.

A counsel for Dewan and others made a mention before the CJI-led bench, seeking urgent hearing of the matter on the ground that there was a possibility of discrimination.

"We know what's happening. Make sure that the defects are cured. We will list it," the bench told the lawyer.

Besides Dewan, others also filed a plea, claiming the UGC's notification adopted a non-inclusionary definition of caste-based discrimination and excluded certain categories from institutional protection.

The plea filed by advocate Vineet Jindal sought appropriate writ, order, or direction from the apex court restraining the respondents -- Union of India (UOI) and University Grants Commission -- from enforcing or acting upon Regulation 3(c) of the University Grants Commission (Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions) Regulations, 2026, in its present "exclusionary" form, insofar as it denies grievance redressal and institutional protection to persons belonging to non-SC/ST/OBC categories.

On January 13, the UGC notified the regulations, superseding its (Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions) Regulations, 2012, while the stated objective of the regulations is to foster equity, inclusion, and a discrimination-free academic environment across higher education institutions in India.

A plea filed by Mrityunjay Tiwari through advocates Neeraj Singh and Satyam Pandey sought issuance of order to ensure that equal opportunity centres, equity helplines, inquiry mechanisms, and ombudsperson proceedings under the 2026 regulations are made available in a non-discriminatory and caste-neutral manner, pending appropriate amendment or reconsideration of Regulation 3(c).

The plea of Tiwari further sought order directing the respondents to read down and suitably amend Regulation 3(c) of the UGC (Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions) Regulations, 2026, so as to define "caste-based discrimination" in a caste-neutral, inclusive, and constitutionally compliant manner, extending protection and grievance redressal mechanisms to all persons subjected to discrimination on the basis of caste, irrespective of caste identity.

Former MP Kunwar Haribansh Singh and others also filed a similar plea through advocate A P Singh.