The #UGC (Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions) Regulations, 2026 is a delayed but welcome step in reforming a higher...
This is the English-language version of Stalin's statement welcoming the UGC's 2026 equity regulations as a delayed but welcome reform, while criticizing the BJP-led Union Government over rising student suicides among SC/ST students and questioning the independence of equity committees, citing the Rohith Vemula case.
M.K.Stalin@mkstalinOriginal post
The #UGC (Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions) Regulations, 2026 is a delayed but welcome step in reforming a higher education system scarred by deep rooted discrimination and institutional apathy.
Since the BJP came to power at the Union level, there has been a visible rise in student suicides within Indian HEIs particularly among SC and ST students. This has been accompanied by repeated attacks and harassment targeting students from South India, Kashmir, and minority communities. In this context, equity safeguards are not a matter of choice but an unavoidable necessity.
The stated goals of dismantling caste discrimination and the inclusion of #OBCs within this framework, deserve support. As seen during the implementation of reservations based on the #MandalCommission recommendations, the present #UGC_Rollback backlash is driven by the same regressive mindset. The Union Government must not allow such pressure to dilute these regulations or their core objectives.
Cases like the suicide of #RohithVemula, where VCs themselves faced allegations, make it difficult to see how Equity Committees chaired by institutional heads can function independently, especially when many higher education institutions are led by RSS supporters.
If the Union BJP Government is serious about preventing student deaths, ending discrimination, and reducing dropout rates among students from backward communities, these regulations must not only be strengthened but also revised to address their structural gaps, and enforced with real accountability. #UGCRegulations #UGCRegulations2026
In an English-language statement, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin described the UGC's 'Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions' Regulations, 2026, as a delayed but welcome step in reforming a higher education system marked by deep-rooted discrimination and institutional apathy. He said that since the BJP came to power at the Union level, there has been a visible rise in student suicides within Indian higher education institutions, particularly among SC and ST students, accompanied by repeated attacks on students from South India, Kashmir, and minority communities. Stalin supported the regulations' goals of dismantling caste discrimination and including OBCs within the equity framework, but noted that the present backlash against the regulations echoes the same regressive mindset seen during protests against reservations based on the Mandal Commission's recommendations. Referring to the suicide of Rohith Vemula, where Vice-Chancellors faced allegations, he questioned how equity committees chaired by institutional heads, some RSS-affiliated, could function independently, and urged the Union Government to strengthen and properly enforce the regulations.