UGC's 2026 Equity Rules: Justice for Marginalised Students or 'Reverse Discrimination'?

Advocate Disha Wadekar, who represents Radhika Vemula and Abeda Tadvi in the Supreme Court, breaks down the new UGC regulations aimed at eradicating caste-based discrimination against those from the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes, Economically Weaker Sections, and other marginalised groups on Indian campuses. The newly notified rules, stemming from a Supreme Court petition, have faced backlash and protests from 'upper-caste' groups claiming “victimisation”. And yet, data shows rising suicides and complaints among Dalit, Bahujan, and Adivasi students.