New Delhi, Jan 29: The Supreme Court on Thursday agreed to urgently list a petition questioning the validity of the University Grants Commission (Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions) Regulations, 2026.
The matter was mentioned before Chief Justice of India Justice Surya Kant, who assured the petitioner’s counsel that the case would be taken up for hearing once procedural defects in the petition are rectified, as per news agency Kashmir News Corner — KNC.
The counsel contended that the newly notified regulations could lead to discrimination against candidates from the general category and deny them access to effective grievance redressal mechanisms.
Responding to the submissions, the Chief Justice said the court was conscious of the concerns raised. “We are aware of the issue. Cure the defects and the matter will be listed,” he observed.
The petition challenges the UGC Equity Regulations on the ground that they institutionalise discrimination by limiting grievance redressal safeguards to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes, while excluding individuals from non-reserved categories.
It further argues that the definition of “caste-based discrimination” under the regulations is narrowly framed, granting legal protection only to certain reserved communities, irrespective of the severity or nature of discrimination faced by others.
The plea seeks directions to ensure that Equal Opportunity Centres, Equity Helplines, inquiry bodies and Ombudsperson mechanisms function in a caste-neutral and non-discriminatory manner until Regulation 3(c) is reviewed or amended.
The petitioner has claimed that denial of grievance redressal solely on the basis of caste identity violates Articles 14, 15(1) and 21 of the Constitution. —(KNC)
