Chennai, Jan 29: Welcoming the University Grants Commission (UGC) (Promotion of
Equity in Higher Education Institutions) Regulations, 2026 as a delayed but welcome step
in reforming a higher education system scarred by deep rooted discrimination and institutional
apathy, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin today said If the union BJP Government should
enforce it with real accountability.
In a post on social media, Mr Stalin said if the BJP government at the Centre was 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 wthout
allowing any pressure to dilute the core objections of these regulations.
“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, he wrote.
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, Mr Stalin said, adding,
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 Chief Minister noted.
Observing that the stated goals of dismantling caste discrimination and the inclusion of OBCs
within this framework, deserve support, Mr Stalin said as seen during the implementation of
reservations based on the Mandal Commission 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, he added.
“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”, Mr Stalin said.
“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”, he added.
