Supreme Court Stays New UGC Rules Amid Misuse Fears; Rohith Vemula's Letter Resurfaces

• The Supreme Court has stayed the 'UGC Promotion of Equity Regulations, 2026' due to prima facie ambiguity and fear of misuse, suggesting an expert committee review.
• The new UGC rules were introduced following Supreme Court directives in January 2025, prompted by cases of Rohith Vemula and Payal Tadvi, to address caste discrimination on campuses.
• Petitioners argued against the new rules, despite their stated objective of ensuring equity in higher education; the old 2012 rules remain in effect.
• Rohith Vemula's poignant suicide letter from January 2016, expressing deep personal pain and societal marginalization, is highlighted as a driving force behind the push for equity regulations.
• The letter, with lines like "My birth is my fatal accident," has become a symbol in the Dalit movement against institutional discrimination.

Why It Matters: Supreme Court halts new UGC equity rules, citing misuse concerns, as Rohith Vemula's impactful letter gains renewed attention.