Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has assured students and colleges that new University Grants Commission (UGC) guidelines to stop caste-based discrimination will not be misused. These new rules, called the Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions Regulations, 2026 , were released in January this year. They aim to fight caste discrimination in universities and colleges across India.
The Minister told reporters, "I assure everyone that no misuse of the law in the name of discrimination will be allowed. The UGC, the Indian government, and state governments are responsible for this. All actions will follow the Constitution. The Supreme Court is also watching this matter, and I assure you there will be no discrimination."
However, these new UGC guidelines have faced some criticism. Some students and teachers from the general category feel the rules are unfair. They believe the rules focus only on discrimination against Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Other Backward Classes (OBC). They worry this could lead to "reverse discrimination" and ignore issues faced by students from the general category.
The guidelines have also caused a stir on social media, with hashtags like #ShameOnUGC and #UGCRollback trending on X (formerly Twitter). Many students and others have shared their opinions online about the new rules.
In the meantime, a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Supreme Court. This PIL challenges the UGC's equity regulations. The court will now review the guidelines.
