The Supreme Court has stayed the University Grants Commission (UGC) Regulations of 2026 meant to promote equity in higher education institutions. Petitioners say these rules wrongly assume caste discrimination flows only one way, affecting only Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST), and Other Backward Classes (OBC). They warn the regulations may cause reverse discrimination against upper castes and leave them without remedy. The 2026 Regulations stemmed from a petition by Rohith Vemula’s and Payal Tadvi’s mothers, who highlighted caste discrimination after their sons’ suicides in 2016 and 2019. The UGC admitted caste bias against Dalit students is real. A 2019 UGC letter demanded officials and faculty avoid discrimination against SC/ST students. However, recent court discussions mostly focused on SC seniors ragging upper caste freshers, overlooking the discrimination SC/ST students face from faculty and administration. The Thorat Committee report of 2007 showed SC/ST students at AIIMS faced internal evaluation bias and non-cooperation. Petitioners claim the regulations' definition of caste discrimination is too narrow, denying upper caste students protection if they face caste bias. The court noted the risk of misuse of these rules. It questioned if the regulations' definition truly supports equality and inclusion. The 2026 Regulations draw on Article 15 of the Constitution, which forbids caste discrimination and supports correcting historic injustices. The Supreme Court, in the Sukanya Shantha case, underlined that caste discrimination appears in many ways across society and requires ongoing efforts from the state and citizens to end it. "The pervasive influence of caste necessitates continuous efforts to ensure equality and justice for all citizens," the Supreme Court said.