On January 29, the Supreme Court stayed the University Grants Commission (Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions) Regulations, 2026, which had been notified around two weeks earlier.
The regulations were aimed at ensuring that educational institutions across the country had inclusive environments, free of discrimination. But their notification by the UGC had been met with protests, largely centred in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh.
Four petitions were also filed in the Supreme Court, challenging the regulations, and asking that the court strike them down or revise them.
The chief objection that the petitions raised was that some of the regulations were specifically aimed at protecting students who belonged to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes from discrimination, and did not mention students from other groups, such as upper castes and others in the general category.
The petitioners argued that this was, in fact, discriminatory towards those other groups of students.
In the January 29 hearing, the UGC did not put forth any defence of the regulations. In its order staying them, the Supreme Court described them as “prima facie vague and capable of misuse”. If implemented, the court said, they would “divide the country”.
The court issued notice to the Centre and the UGC in the matter,...
from Scroll.in https://scroll.in/article/1090353/ugc-did-not-defend-its-equity-guidelines-in-court-but-activists-explain-why-they-must-be-defended?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=public https://sc0.blr1.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/article/211676-erzkkscadf-1769511237.jpg
via
0 Comments