UGC Notifies New Rules to Address Caste-Based Discrimination in Higher Education

UGC has notified new regulations mandating equity committees, helplines and time-bound action to address caste-based discrimination in universities and colleges.

The University Grants Commission (UGC) has issued a fresh set of regulations requiring universities and colleges to put in place formal mechanisms to prevent and address caste-based discrimination on campus.

The new regulations, called the UGC (Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions) Regulations, apply to all higher education institutions, including central, state, private and deemed-to-be universities. Institutions will now have to constitute Equity Committees and strengthen Equal Opportunity Centres to handle complaints related to discrimination.

According to regulations, these bodies must include members from Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Backward Classes, women and persons with disabilities, so that complaints are examined by panels with social and gender representation.

Mandatory helplines and fixed timelines for action

Universities have been directed to operate 24-hour helplines and online complaint systems to allow students, teachers and non-teaching staff to report incidents without delay. Once a complaint is received, the Equity Committee is required to meet within 24 hours, complete its inquiry within 15 working days, and submit its findings to the head of the institution. Action on the recommendations must follow within the next seven days.

The rules also state that complainants must not face academic, administrative or personal harassment for raising concerns. Institutions have been asked to spell out conduct that would amount to discrimination or exclusion on the basis of caste.

Vigilance mechanism and action against defaulting institutions

The UGC has proposed the creation of equity vigilance teams at the institutional level and a monitoring system at the national level to track compliance. Institutions that fail to implement the regulations may face action, including denial of UGC grants, exclusion from central schemes, or withdrawal of recognition.

The notification follows repeated concerns raised by courts, students’ groups and parents over the handling of discrimination complaints on campuses. The UGC has said the rules are meant to ensure that higher education spaces function without fear, exclusion or unequal treatment.