A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi was hearing a petition challenging the UGC rules. Inter-caste marriages are now taking place across the country, and we, too, used to have students of all castes living together in hostels,” the CJI said. The CJI asked why ragging had not been included in the UGC rules and questioned the assumption that discrimination in colleges was limited only to caste. The CJI said the court wanted to examine whether the disputed provisions could be redrafted to be inclusive and fair. About The UGC Equality Regulations 2026The UGC notified the Equality Regulations 2026 on January 13, aimed at eliminating caste-based discrimination in higher educational institutions.