The Supreme Court on Thursday stayed the University Grants Commission (UGC) Promotion of Equity Regulations 2026, saying they are prima facie vague and capable of misuse. The apex court further directed the Centre to redraft the regulations, and said that until then, the implementation of new rules will be kept in abeyance.

 A Bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi stayed the regulations while hearing pleas challenging their constitutionality. The petitioners have argued that the regulations are discriminatory against the "general category".

 During the hearing, the Court questioned the need to define “caste-based discrimination” separately in the regulations when the broader definition of "discrimination" already encompasses all forms of discriminatory treatment. The Bench said that there is complete vagueness in regulation 3 (C) (which defines caste-based discrimination), and it can be misused. "The language needs to be re-modified," it added.

 Further, a counsel appearing for a petitioner submitted, "Why do the regulations not address ragging and why is it assumed that only caste-based discrimination exists? There are divisions based on junior-senior everywhere, and most harassment happens on those lines," he said.

Upon hearing the submission, Justice Bagchi also questioned the omission of ragging from the rules. 

After hearing the arguments, the Court ruled that the 2026 regulations be kept in abeyance. "In exercise of Article 142, we direct that the 2012 Regulations will continue in force till further orders," it said.

Further talking to the Solicitor General (SG) of India, Tushar Mehta, CJI said, "Mr SG, we would like to have your response. Today, we do not want to pass any order...some committee should be there with eminent jurists who understand social values and the ailments society is facing. How entire society should grow...how people are going to behave outside campus if we create this...they must apply their mind".

The UGC notified the Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions Regulations, 2026, on January 13, making it mandatory for all higher education institutions to constitute equity committees to address complaints related to discrimination on campuses. These committees must include representatives from Other Backwards Classes (OBCs), Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), persons with disabilities (PwDs), and women. 

The notification has sparked widespread criticism from general category students, who claim that the framework could lead to discrimination against them. Earlier on Wednesday, students, mostly belonging to the general category, staged a protest at Delhi University's North Campus against the equity rules, demanding their immediate withdrawal, reported PTI. Similarly, protests have also been carried out in other cities.