Full Text
REGD. No. D. L.-33004/99
The Gazette of India
CG-DL-E-13012026-269317
EXTRAORDINARY
PART III-Section 4
PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY
No. 40]
NEW DELHI, TUESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2026/PAUSHA 23, 1947
UNIVERSITY GRANTS COMMISSION
NOTIFICATION
New Delhi, the 13th January, 2026
University Grants Commission (Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions) Regulations, 2026
(UIN:1/2026)
F. No. 1-7/2011(SCT).— PREAMBLE:
Whereas the University Grants Commission (UGC) is mandated to coordinate and determine the standards of
higher education in universities;
And whereas the National Education Policy 2020 recognises 'full equity and inclusion' as the cornerstone of
all educational decisions to ensure that all students are able to thrive in the education system;
And whereas the University Grants Commission is determined to eradicate discrimination on the basis of
religion, race, caste, gender, place of birth, or against persons with disabilities in Higher Education Institutions.
And whereas the University Grants Commission intends to promote equity in Higher Education Institutions.
Now, therefore, in supersession of the University Grants Commission (Promotion of Equity in Higher
Educational Institutions) Regulations, 2012, and in exercise of the powers conferred by clause (j) of Section 12 read
with clause (g) of sub-section (1) of Section 26 of the University Grants Commission Act, 1956, the University Grants
Commission hereby makes the following Regulations, namely: —
1. Short title, application, and commencement:
(a) These regulations shall be called the University Grants Commission (Promotion of Equity in Higher Education
Institutions) Regulations, 2026 (UIN:1/2026).
(b) They shall apply to all the higher education institutions in India.
(c) They shall come into force from the date of their publication in the Official Gazette.
2. Objective:
To eradicate discrimination only on the basis of religion, race, gender, place of birth, caste, or disability,
particularly against the members of scheduled castes and scheduled tribes, socially and educationally backward classes,
economically weaker sections, persons with disabilities, or any of them, and to promote full equity and inclusion amongst
the stakeholders in higher education institutions.
3. Definitions:
(1) In these regulations, unless the context otherwise requires-
(a) "Act" means the University Grants Commission Act, 1956 (3 of 1956);
(b) "Aggrieved Person" means a person who has any complaint in the matters relating to or connected with the
grievances under these regulations;
(c) "Caste-based discrimination" means discrimination only on the basis of caste or tribe against the members of
the scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, and other backward classes;
(d) "Commission" means the University Grants Commission established under the University Grants
Commission Act, 1956;
(e) “Discrimination” means any unfair, differential, or biased treatment or any such act against any
stakeholder, whether explicit or implicit, on the grounds only of religion, race, caste, gender, place of birth,
disability, or any of them. It also includes any distinction, exclusion, limitation, or preference which has
the purpose or effect of nullifying or impairing equality of treatment in education and, in particular, of
imposing conditions on any stakeholder or group of stakeholders which are incompatible with human
dignity.
(f) "Equity" means a level playing field for all stakeholders with respect to the entitlement and opportunity
for the enjoyment of all legitimate rights.
(g) "Equity Committee" means the Committee constituted by the head of the higher education institution.
(h) "Equity Helpline" means a helpline established and operated by an HEI;
(i) "Equal Opportunity Centre" means the centre established under these Regulations by an HEI;
(j) "Faculty Members" means teachers who are working for the HEI;
(k) "Gender" means and includes male, female, and third gender;
(l) "Grievance" means and includes complaint(s) made by an aggrieved person in respect of
discrimination under these regulations;
(m) "Head of the Institution" means the Vice-Chancellor in case of a university or a Deemed to be university,
the Principal or the Director or such other designation as the executive head of the institution or the college
is referred;
(n) "Higher Education Institutions (HEIs)" means a university within the meaning of clause (f) of
section 2, a college within the meaning of clause (b) of sub-section (1) of section 12 A, and an
institution deemed to be a university, declared under section 3 of the University Grants Commission
Act, 1956;
(o) "Ombudsperson" means the Ombudsperson appointed under the University Grants Commission
(Redressal of Grievances of Students) Regulations, 2023, as amended from time to time;
(p) "Staff" means the persons, other than faculty members, who are working for the HEI;
(q) "Stakeholders” means students, faculty members, staff, and members of the managing committee,
including the Head of the HEI;
(r) "Student" means a person enrolled, or seeking admission to be enrolled, in any HEI through any mode,
i.e., Formal, Open and Distance Learning (ODL), or Online;
(s) "University" means a university established or incorporated by or under a Central Act, a Provincial Act,
or a State Act and includes any such institution as may, in consultation with the University concerned, be
recognized by the Commission in accordance with the regulations made in this behalf under the Act;
(2) Words and expressions used and not defined herein but defined in the Act or in the General Clauses Act, 1897,
shall have the meanings as respectively assigned to them in the Act or in the General Clauses Act, 1897, as the
case may be.
4. Duty to promote equity:
(1) Every HEI shall-
(a) have a duty to eradicate discrimination;
(b) have a duty to promote equity among stakeholders;
(c) take appropriate protective and preventive measures to eliminate discrimination against stakeholders
and safeguard the interests of the stakeholders without any prejudice to their caste, creed, religion,
language, ethnicity, gender, or disability.
(2) No HEI shall permit or condone any form of discrimination.
(3) It shall be the duty of the Head of the Institution to see that these regulations are duly observed, and he shall
have all powers necessary for that purpose.
5. Equal Opportunity Centre:
(1) Every HEI shall establish an Equal Opportunity Centre to oversee the effective implementation of policies and
programmes for disadvantaged groups; to provide guidance and counselling regarding academic, financial,
social, and other matters; and to enhance the diversity within the campus.
Provided that if a college does not have at least five faculty members to establish the Equal Opportunity Centre,
the functions of the Equal Opportunity Centre of the college shall be performed by the Equal Opportunity Centre
of the university to which the college is affiliated.
(2) The Centre shall establish coordination with civil society, local media, police, district administration, non-
government organizations working in the field, faculty members, staff, and parents to realise the objective of
these regulations.
(3) The Equal Opportunity Centre shall coordinate with the District Legal Services Authority and the State Legal
Services Authority concerned to achieve the objectives of these regulations in general and to provide legal aid
in deserving cases.
(4) The Executive Council or the Governing Body or the Management Committee of the Higher Education
Institution, as the case may be, shall nominate a regular professor or a senior faculty member who has an innate
interest in the welfare of disadvantaged social groups as Coordinator of the centre.
(5) The Equal Opportunity Centre shall have an Equity Committee constituted by the Head of the Institution to
manage the functioning of the Centre and to enquire into discrimination complaints.
(6) The composition of the Equity Committee shall be the following:
i.
The Head of the Institution shall be the ex-officio Chairperson
ii.
Three Professors/Senior Faculty Members of the HEI, as Members
iii.
One Staff Member, other than a teacher, of the HEI, as a Member
iv. Two representatives from civil society having relevant experience, as Members
V.
Two student representatives, to be nominated based on academic merit/excellence in
sports/performance in co-curricular activities, as Special Invitees.
vi. The Coordinator of the Equal Opportunity Centre shall act as the ex-officio Member Secretary
(7) The Committee must have representation of Other Backward Classes, Persons with Disabilities, Scheduled
Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and women.
(8) The term of the members shall be for two years, and the term of the special invitees shall be one year.
(9) The Committee shall meet at least twice in a year, and the quorum for the meeting, including the Chairperson,
but excluding the special invitee, shall be four. The committee, in its bi-annual meetings, shall review the action
taken on the matters received in the previous 6 months, including the matters referred by it to other committees,
constituted under any other regulations of the UGC or under any other law for the time being in force.
(10) The Equal Opportunity Centre shall have the following functions:
(a) To ensure equity and equal opportunity to the community at large in the HEI and to bring social inclusion.
(b) To promote equity among the students, teaching, and non-teaching staff and, at the same time, eliminate the
perception of discrimination.
(c) To create a socially congenial atmosphere for academic interaction and for the growth of healthy
interpersonal relationships among students coming from various social backgrounds.
(d) To make efforts to sensitize stakeholders regarding social inclusion.
(e) To help individuals or a group of students belonging to the disadvantaged section of society.
(f) To protect an aggrieved person, who has reported any incident of discrimination, against retaliation.
(g) To disseminate the information related to schemes and programmes for the welfare of the socially
disadvantaged section, as well as notifications/memoranda, office orders of the Government and the UGC,
or other related agencies/organizations issued from time to time.
(h) To prepare and disseminate an illustrative list of acts that shall be construed as discrimination.
(i) To prepare inclusive procedures for the admission of students belonging to the disadvantaged groups of
society.
(j) To establish coordination with the Government and other agencies/organizations to mobilize academic and
financial resources to provide assistance to students belonging to disadvantaged groups.
(k) To maintain an online portal for reporting any incident of discrimination.
(l) To perform such other functions as may be deemed necessary for the promotion of equity in the HEI.
(11) Every HEI shall also constitute a smaller body to be known as 'Equity Squads' with such representation as is
considered necessary for maintaining vigil and preventing any discrimination on the campus. The HEI may
constitute the Equity Squads in the required numbers, and such squads will remain mobile and visit the
vulnerable spots frequently. The Equity Squads shall submit their reports to the Coordinator of the Equal
Opportunity Centre.
(12) Every HEI shall designate at least one stakeholder in each of its units, departments, faculties, schools, hostels,
libraries, or facilities to act as an 'Equity Ambassador.' The stakeholders designated as Equity Ambassadors
shall act as torchbearers of equity on the campus and shall remain in touch with the Coordinator of the Equal
Opportunity Centre. The Equity Ambassador shall act as a nodal officer for implementing the programme or
activities planned by the Equal Opportunity Centre in their units and shall also report any equity violation without
delay.
(13) The Equal Opportunity Centre shall publish a bi-annual report of its activities by the end of January and July
every year, and the report shall be made available on the website of the HEI. The report shall include
demographic composition of students and staff, dropout rates of the students for the previous academic year,
grievances/complaints received under these regulations, and their current status.
6. Equity Helpline:
(1) Every HEI shall establish and operate an 'Equity Helpline' that will function round the clock.
Provided that if the equity helpline of a college is not functional for any reason, the equity helpline of the
affiliating university shall be accessible to the stakeholders of that college.
(2) The Equity Helpline shall be accessible to any stakeholder in distress owing to any discrimination-related
incident.
(3) Identity of stakeholder reporting and violation of equity shall be kept confidential if requested by the informant.
7. Measures for the Promotion of Equity:
HEIs shall take the following measures for the promotion of equity:-
(a) HEIs shall ensure that all students at the time of taking admission or renewal of admission and all faculty
members and staff furnish an undertaking to the effect that he/she shall promote equity and will not
indulge himself/herself in any form of discrimination.
(b) The regulations and the equity helpline shall also be prominently made available on HEI's website(s).
(c) Before the commencement of each academic session, the Head of the Institution shall convene and address a
meeting of various functionaries, such as hostel wardens, students, parents/ guardians, faculty, staff, district
administration, police, as a part of the orientation programme, to discuss the measures to promote equity
among stakeholders and also to create awareness about these regulations. A video of the meeting will be made
available on the HEI website.
(d) HEIs shall ensure that any selection, segregation, or allocation for the purpose of hostels, classrooms,
mentorship groups, or any other academic purposes is transparent, fair, and non-discriminatory.
(e) To promote equity, HEIs shall prominently display posters at appropriate places on the campus and organize
workshops, events, etc.
(f) HEIs shall engage or seek the assistance of professional councellors for the counselling of students, faculty
members, and staff.
(g) HEIs shall implement various guidelines issued from time to time by the UGC to promote equity, such as
Guidelines to Provide Equitable Opportunity for the Socio-Economically Disadvantaged Groups (SEDGs)
in the HEIs, etc.
(h) Any student, faculty member, or staff, whether victims or witnesses to any incident of discrimination, shall be
encouraged to report such occurrences, and their identity shall be protected if requested by the informant, and
they shall be provided with necessary protection against retaliation or victimisation.
8. The procedure in case of an incident of discrimination:
a) An aggrieved person may report any incident of discrimination on an online portal, in writing, or by
sending an email to the Coordinator of the Equal Opportunity Centre. The identity of the aggrieved person
shall be kept confidential if requested.
b) The aggrieved person shall also have the option of reporting the incident to the Equity Helpline. The
information received on the helpline shall be forwarded to the police authorities concerned if, prima facie,
a case under the penal laws is made out.
c) The Equity Committee, upon receipt of such information, shall meet within 24 hours to take appropriate
action. The Equity Committee may also refer the matter to a committee constituted under any other
Regulations of the UGC or under any other law for the time being in force, if it is of the opinion that the
matter can be better dealt with by that committee; or it is required to be dealt with by that committee in
accordance with the provisions of regulations or law; or that committee is already seized of the matter.
d) The Equity Committee shall thereafter submit its report to the Head of the Institution within 15 working
days. A copy of the Equity Committee's report shall also be sent to the aggrieved person.
e) Upon receipt of the report from the Equity Committee, the Head of the Institution shall initiate further
action as per the rules of the HEI within 7 working days. However, if a case under the penal laws is made
out, police authorities shall be informed forthwith.
f) In the event any complaint is made against the Head of the Institution, the meeting of the Equity Committee
shall be chaired by the Coordinator of the EOC, and the report of the Equity Committee shall be forwarded
to the next higher authority of the Head of the Institution.
9. Appeal:
(1) A person aggrieved by the report of the Equity Committee may prefer an appeal before the Ombudsperson
within 30 days from the date of receipt of such report. The ombudsperson may appoint an amicus curiae to
facilitate the hearing of an appeal.
(2) An amicus curiae appointed by the Ombudsperson shall be paid a reasonable fee by the HEI.
(3) The Ombudsperson shall make all efforts to dispose of the appeal within a period of 30 days as per the
University Grants Commission (Redressal of Grievances of Students) Regulations, 2023, as amended from
time to time.
10. Monitoring:
(1) The UGC shall establish a monitoring mechanism to review the progress made in achieving the objectives
of these regulations and devise mechanisms for it, including calling for information from HEIs, visiting the
campuses of HEIs, etc. Based on such a review, the UGC may advise the HEIs to take measures to achieve
the objectives of these regulations, and the HEIs shall act accordingly.
(2) The UGC shall constitute a national-level monitoring committee having representatives of statutory
professional councils and commissions and of civil society. The Committee shall oversee the implementation
of these regulations and shall also look into the issues of discrimination and suggest means of its prevention
in HEIs. The Committee shall meet at least twice a year.
(3) Every HEI shall submit an annual report on the functioning of its Equal Opportunity Centre to the UGC,
statutory professional council(s) or commission(s) concerned, Higher Education Department or Directorate
of the State concerned, and to the affiliating university by the end of January every year for review.
11. Consequences of non-compliance:
If any HEI does not comply with any provisions of these regulations, the Commission shall constitute an enquiry
committee to look into the non-compliance. If the non-compliance is established by the enquiry committee set up
by the Commission, the HEI shall be:-
(a) Debarred from participating in UGC schemes.
(b) Debarred from offering degree programmes.
(c) Debarred from offering ODL and online mode programmes.
(d) Removed from the list of HEIs maintained under Sections 2(f) and 12B of the UGC Act 1956.
The HEI shall be subjected to one or more of the above actions.
Further, UGC may take additional punitive actions as per the decision of the Commission on case-to-case basis.
MANISH JOSHI, Secy.
[ADVT.-III/4/Exty./619/2025-26]
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