India considers panel to review UGC campus equity rules

India’s Centre told the Supreme Court on 5 November 2026 that it was considering a special committee to review the University Grants Commission’s (UGC) campus equity regulations, according to The Hindu. The regulations remain stayed by the Court, which directed that the previous 2012 rules continue while challenges are heard.

What the Centre told the Supreme Court

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta sought more time to provide a comprehensive response and said the government was examining criticism of the regulations, The Hindu reported. He told the Court the government was “contemplating” a committee. That describes a proposal under consideration; the report does not establish that a panel has been appointed.

Why the 2026 regulations are under challenge

The UGC notified the regulations on 13 January 2026, and they apply to higher educational institutions across India, Gujarat Samachar reported. The Hindu said they followed consultations and superseded the 2012 framework. In January, the Supreme Court stayed the new rules, calling them too sweeping and vague, and ordered the 2012 regulations to remain in force.

The Court issued notice to the government and the UGC on separate challenges to Regulation 3(c), The Hindu reported. The petitions argued that its definition of caste-based discrimination was limited to prejudice against Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes. Gujarat Samachar separately reported petitioners’ argument that general-category students were excluded from the institutional grievance mechanism; that is a claim made by petitioners, not a court finding.

The Court’s January stay means the 2026 regulations are not currently in force. The Centre’s contemplated review could inform its response in the case, but Mehta’s submission did not confirm a committee’s membership, remit or formation.