In Focus by The Hindu What’s driving the protests against UGC’s new campus equity rules?
Feb 4, 2026
Professor Sukhadeo Thorat, former UGC chair and scholar of caste and education policy, discusses the 2026 campus equity regulations. He traces their history from 2012, details the campus harms they aim to address, and explains why the new rules provoked protests and a Supreme Court stay. He examines enforcement changes, committee representation, gaps in coverage, and the limits of legal reform against deep-rooted caste bias.
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Deleting Specific Acts Risks Inconsistency
- The 2026 draft removes the 2012 list of 28 specific discriminatory acts and leaves listing to campus committees.
- Thorat warns this will create inconsistency and legal confusion across institutions.
Use Expert Lists, Not Campus-by-Campus Rules
- Create a central, expert-crafted list of discriminatory behaviours applicable to all institutions.
- Avoid leaving detailed definitions to individual university committees which may vary widely.
Avoid Conflict By Removing The Head As Chair
- The draft keeps the head of institution both in and above the equity committee, creating a conflict of interest.
- Thorat says the chair should not be the institutional head to ensure impartial recommendations.