Chennai: The UGC (Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions) Regulations, 2026 are a “delayed but welcome” reform aimed at addressing entrenched discrimination in India’s higher education system, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin said on Thursday.
Stalin’s remarks come amid protests by sections of upper-caste Hindu groups opposing the new regulations, which seek to address caste-based and other forms of discrimination in higher education institutions (HEIs). Critics of the rules have alleged that they unfairly portray general category students as “potential predators,” a claim Stalin dismissed as reflective of a “regressive mindset.”
In a post on X, the DMK president linked the need for equity safeguards to a broader pattern of institutional failure. He said that since the BJP assumed power at the Centre, there has been a visible rise in student suicides, particularly among Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe students. He also pointed to repeated harassment faced by students from South India, Kashmir, and minority communities, arguing that equity measures are “not a matter of choice but an unavoidable necessity.”
Stalin said the stated objectives of dismantling caste discrimination and bringing Other Backward Classes within the equity framework deserve firm support. Drawing parallels with the backlash faced during the implementation of Mandal Commission–based reservations, he said the current opposition to the UGC regulations stems from a similar resistance to social justice reforms.
Referring to cases such as the suicide of Rohith Vemula, Stalin expressed concern over the independence of Equity Committees chaired by institutional heads, particularly when many HEIs are led by individuals aligned with the RSS. He urged the Union government not to dilute the regulations, but instead strengthen and enforce them with real accountability.
