Supreme Court Orders UGC to Finalize Anti-Caste Discrimination Rules in Six Weeks

The court criticized delays in implementing measures to address caste-based discrimination and suicides in higher education institutions.

The Supreme Court directed the University Grants Commission (UGC) to notify new anti-discrimination regulations within six weeks, emphasizing the need for effective implementation.
The court highlighted the failure of universities to comply with the 2012 UGC equity regulations, which mandated Equal Opportunity Cells to address caste-based discrimination.
Petitioners, including the mothers of Rohith Vemula and Payal Tadvi, cited over 115 student suicides in premier institutions due to caste discrimination in the past two decades.
The bench criticized UGC for delays since 2023 in finalizing the regulations and demanded comprehensive data on complaints and actions taken by institutions.
The court plans to periodically monitor the progress, seeking inputs from the Centre, UGC, and accreditation bodies to ensure robust anti-discrimination mechanisms.