New Delhi/IBNS, Jan. 29 -- In a major setback to the Modi government, the Supreme Court on Thursday stayed the newly notified University Grants Commission (Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions) Regulations, 2026, amid widespread student protests across several states, media reports said.

A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi stayed the operation of the regulations while hearing three writ petitions filed by Mritunjay Tiwari, Advocate Vineet Jindal and Rahul Dewan. The petitioners argued that the rules could be discriminatory towards students belonging to the general category.

The court issued notices to the Centre and the UGC, returnable on March 19, and ordered that the 2012 UG...