New Delhi. There is important news on UGC rules. The Central Government told the Supreme Court on Thursday that it is reconsidering the UGC Equity Regulations 2026. The Supreme Court has currently put a stay on these rules. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Central Government before the bench headed by CJI Surya Kant, said that he is not saying what will be the decision on the UGC rules, but the government is considering it.
The Supreme Court gave four weeks time to the UGC to file its reply on the petitions challenging these rules. The bench directed the UGC to file a detailed counter affidavit covering the issues raised by all the petitioners. The Supreme Court told the UGC that copies of its affidavits will have to be given to those filing petitions. After reading the reply of UGC, the petitioners will be able to file their reply within two weeks. This is a matter of issuing rules by UGC in January 2026. UGC had issued rules to promote equality in higher education institutions.
The UGC rules have been challenged on the grounds that they have a limited definition of caste-based discrimination. Also, it has been said in the petitions that in the rules, UGC has kept general or non-reserved category students out of the scope of protection from caste-based discrimination or institutional bias. Petitions filed in the Supreme Court have raised concerns about the scope of the new framework and its potential misuse. While hearing the petitions earlier, the Supreme Court bench had stayed the new rules of UGC. The court had given instructions to continue the old rules. It is believed that the government can now make some changes in the UGC rules. However, some organizations have also opposed the change in UGC rules.