On January 13, the University Grants Commission (UGC) notified new regulations to promote equity and protect from discrimination students from SC/ST/OBC communities and other marginalised categories. These are the University Grants Commission (Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions) Regulations, 2026.

These regulations are an updated version of the UGC’s campus equity rules passed in 2012. This revision was the outcome of a Supreme Court order. But the new rules sparked a wave of protests from the upper castes, and the Supreme was quick to pass a stay order.

Why were these new regulations passed? What explains the protests against them? What exactly is ‘reverse discrimination’ – a fear expressed by the protesters?

Guest: Professor Sukhadeo Thorat, former chairman of the University Grants Commission

Host: G Sampath

Producer: Jude Weston

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