Why is it in the news?
→ UGC notified the University Grants Commission (Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions) Regulations, 2026.
→ Regulations aim to tackle caste-based discrimination in HEIs with enforceable penalties.
Category
Polity
Important Points
- Regulations 2026 explicitly cover SCs, STs and OBCs.
- Discrimination defined broadly to include caste, religion, race, gender, place of birth and disability.
- Mandatory Equal Opportunity Centres (EOCs) in every HEI.
- Equity Committees must include SC, ST, OBC, women and persons with disabilities.
- EOCs to submit bi-annual reports; institutions to file annual equity reports to UGC.
- Head of institution made directly responsible for compliance.
- National monitoring committee to meet at least twice a year.
- Penalties include debarment from UGC schemes, ban on degree/online programmes, or loss of recognition.
- 2019 IIT Delhi study cited: 75% students from disadvantaged castes faced discrimination.
- UGC became a statutory body in 1956; headquartered in New Delhi.
- Constitutional backing includes Article 15, Article 46 and SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.