Supreme Court Stays UGC Equity Regulations 2026, calls it 'vague'
The Supreme Court has also issued notices to the Centre and the UGC while hearing the challenges to the regulation.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday has stayed the University Grants Commission (Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions) Regulations, notified on January 23, which was challenged by various petitioners as being discriminatory.
What did the top court say?
A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi said that intervention in the matter was necessary because the guidelines were "capable of dividing society" and could have a "grave impact".
The court also said that, for now, the 2012 UGC regulations will continue to apply. The court opined that there is complete vagueness in Regulation 3 (C) (which defines caste-based discrimination), and it can be misused.
Supreme Court stays the University Grants Commission (Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions) Regulations, notified on January 23, 2026 which was challenged by various petitioners as being arbitrary, exclusionary, discriminatory and in violation of the Constitution… pic.twitter.com/KUuXgEMntL
— ANI (@ANI) January 29, 2026
"The language needs to be re-modified," the Court said.
During the hearing, the SC said "it hoped that India was not going to have segregated schools, like the ones America once used to have. Is India becoming a regressive society,"
The bench has also issued notices to the Centre and the UGC while hearing the challenges to the regulation.
"India's unity must reflect in its educational institutions," the court added.
The Chief Justice said that if we don't "intervene" then it will lead to a "dangerous impact, will divide society and will have a grave impact."
He also said that, "Prima facie we say that the language of the regulation is vague and experts need to look into for the language be modulated so that it is not exploited."
The court gave the judgement after multiple petitions alleged that notified University Grants Commission (UGC) regulations adopts an exclusionary understanding of caste-based discrimination and leaves out certain groups from institutional safeguards.
Any official saying?
#WATCH | On Supreme Court staying UGC Regulations 2026, Advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain, counsel of a petitioner, says, "Today, the Supreme Court heard our writ petition challenging the UGC Regulations which have been enacted recently. The Supreme Court has stayed the UGC… pic.twitter.com/1zk3vnZHiK
— ANI (@ANI) January 29, 2026
Calling the decision as "right thing", TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee said that, "Supreme Court has done the right thing as the UGC guideline was unconstitutional..."
#WATCH | Delhi | SC stays UGC regulations 2026, TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee says," Supreme Court has done the right thing as the UGC guideline was unconstitutional..." pic.twitter.com/PHugLR2U4B
— ANI (@ANI) January 29, 2026
What was the petition about?
The petitioners had said that the rules recognise discrimination only against Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Other Backward Classes (OBC), leaving general category individuals without any protection.
The 2026 regulations had replaced the UGC (Promotion of Equity in Higher Educational Institutions) Regulations, 2012, which were largely advisory in nature.
