Supreme Court Clears Path for UGC to Notify Draft Regulations on Ragging, Sexual Harassment, and Discrimination in Higher Education

Landmark Step Aims to Curb Campus Injustices and Strengthen Student Mental Health Measures Nationwide

NEW DELHI — In a significant move towards ensuring safer and more equitable campuses, the Supreme Court of India on Thursday allowed the University Grants Commission (UGC) to notify its long-pending draft regulations 2025. These regulations aim to tackle pressing issues such as ragging, sexual harassment, and discrimination based on caste, gender, disability, and other biases in higher education institutions across the country.

A bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh observed that the regulations could proceed in parallel with the recommendations of the National Task Force (NTF), which was recently formed to address student mental health concerns in light of increasing student suicides in educational institutions.

“UGC may proceed with the finalisation of the draft regulations 2025 and notify the same,” the bench stated, referring to its March 24 judgment in the Amit Kumar case.

UGC Empowered to Move Forward While NTF Reviews Continue

The NTF, headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice S. Ravindra Bhat, was constituted following the March 24 judgment to recommend systemic changes to better address mental health and discrimination-related challenges faced by students. While that process is ongoing, the apex court clarified that the UGC’s draft guidelines can still be finalized, and any further suggestions or challenges can be raised within the framework of pending proceedings.

Petitioners — including the mothers of Rohith Vemula and Payal Tadvi, two students who allegedly died by suicide due to caste-based discrimination — raised concerns over the merging of older, detailed guidelines into broader categories in the new draft.

Senior advocate Indira Jaising, appearing for the mothers, argued that the specificity of the old regulations — especially those related to discrimination — had been diluted in the new draft. She urged that the previous clarity in identifying acts of discrimination should be preserved.

Legal Debate Highlights Need for Comprehensive Safeguards

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre and UGC, countered that the new guidelines are being developed under the purview of existing Supreme Court directions and must not be interrupted while the NTF’s work continues.

The court emphasized that if any shortcomings are found in the proposed regulations, the NTF would still be empowered to make further recommendations. This dual-track approach ensures immediate regulatory action while allowing space for refinements based on expert feedback.

A Step Toward Safer and More Inclusive Campuses

The case stems from a 2019 PIL, which sought the enforcement of regulations to prevent caste-based discrimination and to ensure compliance with the UGC (Promotion of Equity in Higher Educational Institutions) Regulations, 2012. The court had previously asked the UGC to provide data on equal opportunity cells and to introduce reforms for campus inclusivity.

With Thursday’s ruling, the Supreme Court has set a precedent for proactive governance, acknowledging the urgent need for protection mechanisms in India’s higher education landscape.