Why is it in the news?
→ Supreme Court issued an interim stay on UGC (Promotion of Equity in Higher Educational Institutions) Regulations, 2026.
→ Court cited concerns of social division and undermining campus unity.
Category
Polity
Important Points
- SC exercised Article 142 as 2012 Regulations had been repealed.
- Directed UGC (Promotion of Equity in Higher Educational Institutions) Regulations, 2012 to continue till further orders.
- 2026 Regulations were framed following Abeda Salim Tadvi v. Union of India (2019).
- Case seeks mechanism to end caste-based discrimination on campuses.
- Section 3(1)(c) challenged for limiting discrimination definition to SC/ST/OBC only.
- Section 3(1)(e) already provides broader definitions including religion, race, caste, gender, place of birth and disability.
- SC questioned exclusion of regional harassment, intra-caste harassment and ragging.
- Regulations lack a mechanism to penalise false complaints.
- The court invoked the “principle of no-regression”.
- The Bench examined provisions under Article 15(4) for advancement of socially and educationally backward classes.