Bhubaneswar, Jan. 28 -- The University Grants Commission (UGC) has introduced new rules called the UGC (Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions) Regulations, 2026.

They were notified on January 13, 2026, and apply to all higher education institutions.

The new UGC Regulations aim to prevent caste-based and other forms of discrimination in colleges and universities across India. These rules aim at protecting the students who are discriminated against on the grounds of caste.

The regulations follow Supreme Court intervention after petitions filed by the mothers of Rohith Vemula and Payal Tadvi, who died by suicide in 2016 and 2019, allegedly due to caste-based discrimination. The court said earlier rules were weak and needed ...