ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash EP-384 | UGC Regulations 2026: Dr Vikas Divyakirti on Protests, Reservation & Caste Discrimination
Jan 29, 2026
Dr Vikas Divyakirti, educator and founder of Drishti IAS, offers a concise take on the UGC Equity Regulations 2026. He examines protests in North India, concerns about implicit discrimination and complaint safeguards. He breaks down equity committee makeup, faculty representation challenges and how recruitment, AI and monitoring might reshape campus fairness.
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Rohit Vemula Case Spurs Reform
- Vikas references the 2016 Rohit Vemula case that catalyzed judicial scrutiny of campus discrimination rules.
- He says petitioners argued 2012 guidelines were symbolic and inadequate, prompting Supreme Court review.
Campus Bias Often Works Through Small Exclusions
- Discrimination in campuses can be subtle: biased guidance, exclusion from study groups, and informal isolation.
- Vikas argues rules can expose such implicit acts but cannot alone transform deep societal biases.
Committee Composition Omits Key Groups
- The regulations name race and place of birth as protected grounds but equity committees may lack representation from those groups.
- Vikas points out gaps like missing language and third-gender representation in committee composition.
