New Delhi, Jan. 29 -- The Supreme Court on Thursday stayed the University Grants Commission (Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions) Regulations, notified on January 23, 2026 which was challenged by various petitioners as being arbitrary, exclusionary, discriminatory and in violation of the of the Constitution as well as the University Grants Commission Act, 1956.

While staying the 2026 UGC regulations in its entirety, a bench of the Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi termed the language of the provision that defines "caste-based discrimination" as "vague".

The Court noted that for now, the 2012 UGC regulations will operate until it examines the validity of the 2026 regulations. The matter will be ...