Anbumani urges Centre to take steps to get Supreme Court stay on UGC equity regulations lifted

Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) leader Anbumani Ramadoss on Thursday (January 29, 2026) urged the Union government to take expeditious steps to seek the revocation of the Supreme Court’s stay on the implementation of the University Grants Commission (Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions) Regulations, 2026.

In a statement, he expressed concern over the Supreme Court’s order on Thursday, which kept the recently notified UGC regulations in abeyance. He said the regulations had been framed by the Centre with the objective of upholding social justice by putting an end to caste-based discrimination in higher educational institutions.

He said the regulations mandated all higher education institutions to constitute “equity committees” to look into complaints of discrimination. These committees would include representatives from Other Backward Classes, Scheduled Castes, and Scheduled Tribes to inquire into such complaints and were not directed against any particular community, he said.

Contending that the UGC regulations were the need of the hour, he urged the Centre to take swift steps to revoke the stay.