Plea in Supreme Court Challenges UGC Equity Regulations for Excluding General Category Students

A plea has been filed before the Supreme Court challenging the University Grants Commission (Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions) Regulations, 2026, on the ground that they exclude general category students from the grievance redressal mechanism.

The petition argues that by limiting protection primarily to SC/ST, OBC, EWS, and other specified groups, the regulations create impermissible state discrimination and presume that caste-based discrimination can operate only in one direction.

Seeking restraint on the regulations in their present form, the plea contends that denial of grievance redressal based on caste identity violates equality principles and undermines the stated objective of promoting equity and inclusion in higher education institutions.