UGC’s New Draft Rules on Caste Discrimination: Key Provisions & Impact on Higher Education

What’s in Today’s Article?

• UGC Caste Discrimination Rules Latest News
• Caste-Based Discrimination in Indian Universities
• UGC’s New Draft Regulations Empower It to Act Against Discrimination in Universities
• UGC Caste Discrimination Rules FAQs

UGC Caste Discrimination Rules Latest News

• The Union government informed the Supreme Court that new UGC regulations will empower it to de-recognise higher education institutions failing to prevent discrimination, particularly based on religion or caste.

Caste-Based Discrimination in Indian Universities

• Caste-based discrimination in Indian universities refers to systemic exclusion, harassment, and bias faced by students from Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Other Backward Classes (OBCs). 
• This manifests in academic grading, social ostracization, denial of opportunities, and even psychological harassment, often leading to dropouts or severe mental distress.

Statistics

• Discrimination in IITs
  • A 2021 study by the Forum Against Oppression of SC/STs reported that 70% of Dalit and Adivasi students in IITs faced caste discrimination.
  • They faced discrimination from faculty members, including unfair grading and exclusion from academic projects.
• Admissions
  • In 2015–2019, only 1.6% of PhD candidates at IIT-Bombay were from the ST category, 7.5% from the SC category, and 19.2% from the OBC category. 
• Placements 
  • A field experiment found that low-caste applicants need to send 20 percent more resumes than high-caste applicants to get the same callback.
• Suicides
  • As per the ministry of education, between 2014 and 2021, over 122 student suicides in higher education institutions were reported, a significant proportion belonging to marginalized communities.

Notable Examples

• Rohith Vemula (2016): A Ph.D. scholar from the University of Hyderabad, who died by suicide, alleging caste discrimination and institutional harassment.
• Payal Tadvi (2019): A tribal medical student from Mumbai, who ended her life due to casteist bullying by senior doctors.
• Reports of caste-based seating arrangements in universities and social exclusion from hostels and student groups persist.

Legal Mechanism to Address Caste Discrimination

• Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989: Provides legal protection against caste-based violence and discrimination.
• The University Grants Commission (UGC) Guidelines: Mandates universities to establish anti-discrimination cells to address caste bias.
• Article 15 & 17 of the Indian Constitution: Prohibits caste-based discrimination and untouchability in all forms.
• Reservation Policy: Ensures representation of SC/ST/OBC students in admissions, faculty positions, and scholarships.

Challenges

• Lack of SC, ST, and OBC faculty members contributes to student alienation. 
  • Adequate representation could provide mentorship and support to marginalized students.
• Many IITs, IIMs, and law schools failed to respond to UGC’s request for data on Equal Opportunity Cells. 
  • Reports indicate that 40% of universities and 80% of colleges have not provided compliance details.
• SC has acknowledged the low compliance rate and stressed the need for stronger enforcement.

Way Forward

• Need to change flawed notion of meritocracy
  • The claim that reservations dilute merit is a common but baseless argument. 
  • Sociologists argue that so-called "merit" is simply the conversion of historical caste privilege into modern social capital. 
  • The Supreme Court in 2022 (Neil Aurelio Nunes vs Union of India) affirmed that reservation enhances merit by ensuring equitable representation.
• Legal Framework: The UGC should criminalize caste discrimination in educational institutions, similar to laws against ragging and sexual harassment.
• Institutional Support: The government must implement grievance redressal mechanisms, diversity training, and pedagogical strategies to promote inclusion.
• Awareness and Structural Changes: Caste annihilation workshops and affirmative action policies must be reinforced to foster equitable campuses.

Conclusion

• As Dr. B.R. Ambedkar stated, “Equality may be a fiction, but nonetheless, one must accept it as a governing principle.” 
• To ensure true inclusivity in Indian academia, proactive steps must be taken to dismantle caste-based barriers and create a just, representative educational system.

UGC’s New Draft Regulations Empower It to Act Against Discrimination in Universities

• The Union govt informed the Supreme Court that the draft UGC (Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions) Regulations, 2025 would strengthen the UGC’s authority to tackle caste and religion-based discrimination. 

Petition Against Caste Discrimination in Universities

• The court was hearing a petition filed by the mothers of Rohith Vemula and Payal Tadvi, who died by suicide after facing caste discrimination. 
• The petition highlighted rampant caste bias in higher education institutions (HEIs), urging the Supreme Court to intervene.

Key Provisions of the Draft Regulations

• Objective: Eradication of discrimination based on caste, religion, race, gender, or economic background.
• Punitive Actions: HEIs failing to comply may face de-recognition, funding restrictions (Section 12B of the UGC Act), and additional penalties.
• Equity Committees: Proposed in HEIs, consisting of faculty, students, and civil society members, with mandatory SC/ST and female representation.

UGC Caste Discrimination Rules FAQs

Q1. What do UGC’s new draft regulations aim to address?

Ans. UGC’s draft rules seek to prevent caste-based discrimination in universities and impose penalties on non-compliant institutions.

Q2. How can universities be penalized under the new UGC rules?

Ans. Higher education institutions may face de-recognition, funding cuts, and penalties if they fail to prevent caste discrimination.

Q3. Why was the Supreme Court petition filed against caste bias in universities?

Ans. The petition was filed by the mothers of Rohith Vemula and Payal Tadvi, both victims of caste discrimination.

Q4. What mechanisms are proposed to tackle caste discrimination in universities?

Ans. UGC suggests equity committees with SC/ST representation, grievance redressal cells, and stricter penalties for institutions violating norms.

Q5. How does caste discrimination affect students in Indian universities?

Ans. It leads to academic exclusion, mental distress, reduced opportunities, and has even resulted in student suicides in some cases.

Source: TH | IT | TNM