Hyderabad, Jan. 27 -- On January 13, the Union government notified new University Grants Commission (UGC) regulations mandating all higher education institutions to form equity committees, centres and squads to look into discrimination complaints and promote equity. However, the rules did not sit well with some students, who felt it could lead to chaos on campuses.

The UGC (Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions) Regulations, 2026, mandates that these equity committees must include members of the Other Backward Classes (OBC), the Scheduled Castes (SC), the Scheduled Tribes (ST), persons with disabilities (PwD) and women with no mention of general category persons in the squads.

The contentious rules have created a furore, ...