The Supreme Court of India on Friday emphasized the need for an effective mechanism to combat caste-based discrimination in educational institutions across the country. The bench, consisting of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan, addressed the sensitive issue and directed the University Grants Commission (UGC) to notify draft regulations to ensure that caste-based discrimination is prevented in central, state, private, and deemed universities.

The Court specifically asked the UGC to provide data on the number of institutions that have set up Equal Opportunity Cells as required under the UGC (Promotion of Equity in Higher Educational Institutions Regulations) 2012. These regulations, often referred to as the UGC equity regulations, aim to eliminate discrimination in higher education institutions.

The Supreme Court also sought a report from the UGC on complaints of caste-based discrimination, including data on actions taken in response. Senior advocate Indira Jaising, representing the families of students Rohith Vemula and Payal Tadvi, who died by suicide after facing caste-based discrimination, highlighted the alarming number of deaths of SC/ST students across institutions, citing over 50 such cases from 2004 to the present.

The Court noted that although a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed in 2019, there had been no substantial hearing on the matter until now. Justice Surya Kant expressed dissatisfaction with the delay, stating that the case would now be listed periodically to ensure that an effective solution is found.

The UGC counsel mentioned that a committee had drafted new regulations to address the issue, and these regulations will soon be placed on the UGC website for public feedback. The Court has set a one-month deadline for the draft regulations to be made public and instructed the UGC to submit a report on its progress in six weeks.

The Court also sought the assistance of Solicitor General Tushar Mehta and asked the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) to respond on the matter.

This petition, filed in 2019, seeks to enforce the Right to Equality and Right to Prohibition of Caste-Based Discrimination, as well as the Right to Life. The petitioners have called for stringent enforcement of the 2012 UGC regulations, which include establishing equal opportunity cells in all educational institutions, taking strong disciplinary action against caste-based discrimination, and protecting students from harassment.