Supreme Court Stays New UGC Equity Guidelines Over Concerns Of 'Dividing The Society'

On this Special Report, the focus is on the Supreme Court's interim stay on the new equity guidelines introduced by the University Grants Commission (UGC). The court observed that the intervention was necessary as the 'new guidelines are capable of dividing the society'. While the central government provided assurances against the misuse of these regulations, the bench emphasized that the mere possibility of a provision being prone to misuse warrants judicial scrutiny to ensure laws remain uniform and applicable to all sections of society. The court has issued notices to both the Centre and the UGC, seeking their responses to the petitions. Furthermore, the Supreme Court clarified that while the new guidelines are stayed, the 2012 regulations will continue to be enforced. The matter is scheduled for further hearing in March, where the vision of a 'caste-less society' and the unity of India's higher institutions will remain central to the legal discourse.