The Supreme Court has issued notices to the Central Government, UGC, and others seeking responses to a petition filed against the new UGC regulations. The court has also tagged the petition with the original one. Kunwar Harivansh Singh, National President of the Bharatiya Kshatriya Mahasabha and former Member of Parliament, filed the petition. The petition accuses the government of dividing society through the UGC. The petitioner also argues that caste discrimination can occur not only within reserved categories but within any category. Therefore, it should not be limited to certain communities.
It should be noted that on January 29, the Supreme Court stayed the UGC (Promotion of Equality in Higher Educational Institutions) Regulations, which were notified on January 13. The court stated that the regulations were “vague at the outset” and could have “wide-ranging consequences.” The court also stated that they could lead to divisions in society. These regulations sparked massive protests across the country.
Recently, Karni Sena protested in Jaipur.
Meanwhile, recently in Jaipur, the Rajput Karni Sena protested against the UGC (Promotion of Equality in Higher Educational Institutions) Regulations, 2026, demanding its withdrawal. The organization’s president, Mahipal Singh Makrana, stated that the organization would not allow injustice to be done to the youth. Protests against the regulations have taken place in many parts of the country and in educational institutions.
The petitions object that the rules define caste-based discrimination only as discrimination against members of the Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), and Other Backward Classes (OBCs). Opponents of the new UGC rule argue that the definition of discrimination in the Act makes it appear as if caste discrimination occurs only against SCs, STs, and OBCs. General category students are not provided with any institutional protection, nor is there a grievance redressal system in place.
