Petition by Vineet Jindal assails UGC Regulation 3(c) of the 2026 Equity Regulations for defining caste-based discrimination only against SC, ST, and OBC, calling it exclusionary and unconstitutional.
Alleges violations of Articles 14, 15(1), and 21 by creating a hierarchy of protection that denies redressal to general category individuals facing caste-based bias or harassment.
Immediate restraint on enforcing the current definition; direction to redefine caste discrimination in a caste-neutral way; interim orders to make equity mechanisms (Centres, Helplines, Ombudsperson) accessible to all students/faculty pending reconsideration.
A writ petition was filed in the Supreme Court of India by petitioner Vineet Jindal challenging Regulation 3(c) of the recently notified University Grants Commission (Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions) Regulations, 2026. The plea alleges that the UGC's definition of "caste-based discrimination" is exclusionary and unconstitutional, as it limits protection only to members of Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Other Backward Classes (OBC), thereby denying institutional safeguards to students and faculty from the "general" (non-reserved) categories who face caste-based harassment or bias.
The petition argues that by confining the scope of caste-based discrimination strictly to SC, ST, and OBC groups, the regulation creates an unconstitutional hierarchy of protection and effectively excludes a large section of the population from grievance redressal mechanisms, such as Equal Opportunity Centres, Equity Helplines, and the Ombudsperson system established under the same rules. It contends that caste discrimination can affect individuals irrespective of their caste identity and that restricting safeguards to certain reserved categories violates core constitutional principles.
The plea specifically invokes violations of:
Article 14 (right to equality before the law and equal protection of laws),
Article 15(1) (prohibition of discrimination by the State on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex, or place of birth),
Article 21 (right to life and personal liberty, encompassing the right to live with dignity).
The petitioner has urged the Supreme Court to declare Regulation 3(c) unconstitutional in its current form and to direct the UGC and Union government to redefine "caste-based discrimination" in a "caste-neutral and constitutionally-compliant manner," so that protection is extended to all individuals facing caste-based discrimination, regardless of their specific caste category.
Pending final adjudication, the plea seeks interim relief in the form of a restraint on enforcing the existing definition of Regulation 3(c) and directions to ensure that all equity mechanisms under the 2026 regulations—Equal Opportunity Centres, Equity Helplines, and Ombudsperson—are made available in a non-discriminatory manner to every student and faculty member, irrespective of caste category.
This legal challenge comes shortly after the UGC notified the regulations in early 2026 to promote equity and curb discrimination in higher education institutions, amid ongoing debates on affirmative action, reverse discrimination claims, and the scope of anti-discrimination protections in educational settings
