Tag: Discrimination

The Court held that for "specialized" and "super-specialty" courses, reservations should be applied cautiously. The Court emphasized that in certain highly technical fields of medicine or engineering, merit must remain the sole criterion to maintain global standards, effectively creating a "specialty exception" even if the course technically leads to a master's or doctoral degree.

In the landmark Five-Judge Bench decision, the Supreme Court ruled that Article 15(5) of the Constitution, which allows for reservations in private and public educational institutions, does not apply to Minority Educational Institutions. The Court held that forcing reservations upon them would destroy their "minority character" protected under Article 30(1). This judgment solidified the exemption mentioned in Section 4 of this Act.

No methodology has been laid down for determining the socially and educationally backward classes because castes alone should not be made the basis for identification. This thing was pointed out by the eminent judiciary of our nation from time to time, but still we as a nation are carrying burden of so called caste system claimed to be imposed by Brahmins, but made rigid by British rulers.

Poor people from these classes are still poor and people who have availed the benefit of schemes and reservations are becoming rich day by day, but not revoking their caste status. On asking them, they ask to give daughters of upper castes or general category people to them. Hence such schemes require assessment on the basis of economic condition. But nothing is done by any political party.

The court clarified that for an act to constitute an atrocity under this section, there must be a specific intent to humiliate. It is not enough for an insult to occur; the accused must have the knowledge or awareness that the victim belongs to a SC or ST. The court noted that this awareness could be inferred from long-term association or residence in the same locality.

The University Grants Commission (Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions) Regulations, 2026, have sparked a significant debate regarding the autonomy of academic spaces and the role of the State in student life. While framed as a move toward inclusivity, the framework has faced criticism for its structural similarities to colonial control mechanisms and its […]

The University Grants Commission (UGC) released a new set of rules on January 13, 2026, aimed at ensuring fairness and inclusion within colleges and universities. These rules are officially called the University Grants Commission (Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions) Regulations, 2026. This notification acts as an update to older rules from 2012, bringing them in line with the goals of the National Education Policy 2020.

The scope of these rules is broad, as they apply to every higher education institution across India. This means all universities and colleges under the oversight of the UGC must follow these guidelines to ensure they are providing an equitable environment for their students.

While the objective mentions EWS, the practical application often ignores that general category students can also be economically vulnerable. The regulation often fails to recognize that a student's general category status does not protect them from poverty. When the equity framework focuses heavily on caste-based identity, the specific struggles of the poor among the general category are often overlooked, leaving them without the same social or institutional support systems.

Stakeholder means everyone who studies, teaches, works, or governs or manages the college or university.