‘It will lead to very dangerous impacts’: Supreme Court stays new UGC Regulations on caste-based discrimination

['Ananthakrishnan G', 'Ananthakrishnan G. Is A Senior Assistant Editor With The Indian Express. He Has Been In The Field For Over Years', 'Kicking Off His Journalism Career As A Freelancer In The Late Nineties With Bylines In The Hindu. A Graduate In Law', 'He Practised In The District Judiciary In Kerala For About Two Years Before Switching To Journalism. His First Permanent Assignment Was With The Press Trust Of India In Delhi Where He Was Assigned To Cover The Lower Courts', 'Various Commissions Of Inquiry.', 'He Reported The Delhi High Court', 'The Supreme Court Of India During His First Stint With The Indian Express In Currently', 'In His Second Stint With The Indian Express', 'He Reports The Supreme Court', 'Writes On Topics Related To Law'] The Indian Express 2026-01-29 20:38:33

Issuing notice to the Centre and UGC on a clutch of petitions challenging the Regulations, a bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi said, “Meanwhile, the 2026 Regulations be kept in abeyance. It will lead to so many…very dangerous impact,” said CJI Kant. Justice Bagchi said, “The constitutional question is… Article 15(4) empowers the state to make special laws for the Scheduled Castes/ Scheduled Tribes. If the 2012 Regulations spoke of a more widespread and all-inclusive discrimination, including discrimination in the nature of ragging, why should there be a regression in a protective or ameliorative legislation? We may not also be experts on all these issues, but those who understand the societal issues must apply their minds,” CJI Kant added.