University Masti

  The University Grants Commission’s Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions Regulations, 2026, mark a significant departure from the weaker 2012 framework. The timing is telling: caste-based discrimination complaints have surged by 118% , rising from 173 cases in 2019–20 to 378 in 2023–24 . Against this backdrop, the new rules introduce long-overdue structural reforms—and yet, they also leave critical blind spots that risk creating fresh inequities. What the 2026 Regulations Get Right The most notable advance is the formal inclusion of OBCs alongside SC/ST communities within the anti-discrimination framework. Protections now explicitly cover discrimination based on caste, religion, gender, disability, and place of birth , widening the scope of institutional accountability. Key institutional mechanisms strengthen enforcement: Mandatory Equal Opportunity Cells (EOCs) in all higher education institutions Time-bound inquiries , with preliminary action within 24 hours a...