UGC's New Equality Regulation Sparks Nationwide Controversy, Political Debate

• UGC's Equality Promotion Regulations in Higher Educational Institutions, 2026, notified on January 15, 2026, aim to curb caste-based discrimination and ensure an inclusive academic environment.
• The regulations formally include Other Backward Classes (OBC) within the scope of caste-based discrimination, empowering them to file complaints, a significant shift from previous mechanisms focused on SC/ST.
• Mandatory structural changes include establishing Equal Opportunity Cells and university-level Equality Committees with representation from OBCs, women, SCs, STs, and persons with disabilities, reporting to UGC every six months.
• Opposition from upper-caste organizations, including the Savarna Samaj Coordination Committee (S-4) in Jaipur, argues the provisions are prone to misuse and false complaints.
• The controversy has gained political overtones, especially with Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections in 2027, and intensified online with accusations of being "anti-upper caste" by some influencers, while supporters defend it as a necessary reform.

Why It Matters: UGC's new equality regulations, aimed at curbing caste discrimination, have ignited widespread controversy and political debate.