# Centre tells SC UGC equity rules under reconsideration 2026-08-20T17:52:45+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet The Centre on Thursday told the Supreme Court that the 2026 University Grants Commission regulations aimed at preventing caste-based discrimination on campuses are under reconsideration. Solicitor-general Tushar Mehta informed a bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant that the matter is being reviewed, prompting the court to order the UGC to file a counter affidavit within four weeks. The development comes amid sustained opposition from upper-caste groups and BJP functionaries, particularly in Uttar Pradesh, which is headed for Assembly elections in 2027. Critics have argued the rules could expose general category students to harassment through false complaints and create caste-based divisions. The Supreme Court had earlier kept the regulations in abeyance, calling them 'prima facie vague' and potentially having 'dangerous impact'. Several BJP office-bearers in Uttar Pradesh resigned in protest against the rules, including Bareilly city magistrate Alankar Agnihotri. The Samajwadi Party has backed the regulations while saying no section should face injustice. The court asked petitioners to file rejoinders within two weeks after the UGC's counter affidavit. ## Indian Opinion Analysis The rethink exposes a political tightrope for the BJP in Uttar Pradesh, where the party's traditional upper-caste base has shown signs of unrest. The 2027 assembly elections make this a high-stakes calculation: any dilution could be used by the opposition to accuse the government of weakening anti-discrimination safeguards, while retaining the rules risks alienating a core voting bloc. The court's earlier order, noting the regulations were 'prima facie vague', gives the government legal cover to revise them. Watch for the UGC's counter affidavit in four weeks to signal how far the Centre will bend. ## Coverage - nationalheraldindia.com Straight reporting of court proceedings and political context, no overt editorial slant. This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Tags: Supreme Court, Surya Kant, Tushar Mehta, UGC, Uttar Pradesh Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/centre-tells-sc-ugc-equity-rules-under-reconsideration/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/centre-tells-sc-ugc-equity-rules-under-reconsideration/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes. How this brief was made: an AI model read the report linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/