"Govt absolutely abdicated its responsibility": Priyanka Chaturvedi welcomes SC stay on new UGC regulations

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], January 29 (ANI): Welcoming the Supreme Court's stay on the new University Grants Commission's equity regulations, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi on Thursday criticised the central government for "abdicating its responsibility," following widespread backlash on the regulations.
In a post on X, Priyanka Chaturvedi shared that she was "trolled and abused" for her surname when she raised her voice against the new regulations, emphasising the "vagueness" of the guidelines, which she believed were an attempt to "create further discrimination on campuses."
"I am glad that Hon SC stepped in and stayed the UGC guidelines, which were vague, arbitrary and an attempt to create further discrimination on campuses. I was trolled, abused, and slurs were thrown my way using my surname, so be it. What goes against the natural course of justice, I will continue to raise it and use my voice for it," Priyanka Chaturvedi said.
"That the GoI absolutely abdicated its responsibility to intervene & withdraw the UGC guidelines shows that they give no respect or consideration to people's protests is now clear as daylight. And those who stayed silent, time will judge you," she added.

I am glad that Hon SC stepped in and stayed the UGC guidelines which were vague, arbitrary and an attempt to create further discrimination on campuses.
I was trolled, abused and slurs thrown my way using my surname, so be it. What goes against natural course of justice I will… pic.twitter.com/I8GV7n3UNU

— Priyanka Chaturvedi🇮🇳 (@priyankac19) January 29, 2026

Amid an uproar around the country over the alleged "discrimination" against the General Category in the University Grants Commission (Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions) Regulations, 2026, the SC on Thursday stayed the regulations.
The Top Court said that, for now, the 2012 UGC regulations will continue to apply. The Court opined that there is complete vagueness in Regulation 3 (C) (which defines caste-based discrimination), and it can be misused. "The language needs to be re-modified," the Court said.
The new UGC regulations, notified on January 23, were challenged by various petitioners as arbitrary, exclusionary, discriminatory, and in violation of the Constitution and the University Grants Commission Act, 1956.
The new regulations, introduced to curb caste-based discrimination in colleges and universities, require institutions to establish special committees and helplines to address complaints from students in the Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST), and Other Backwards Classes (OBC) categories.
Students, mostly from the general category, protested against regulations that promote discrimination on campuses rather than equality. The students noted that the regulation has no provision to address fraudulent complaints filed against General Category students. (ANI)