A plea was filed in the Supreme Court against the University Grants Commission's (UGC) new rule on caste-based discrimination. The challenge targets regulation 3(c) of the UGC (Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions) Regulations, 2026. The petition claims this rule defines caste-based discrimination too narrowly. It restricts protection only to Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Other Backward Classes (OBC). According to petitioner Vineet Jindal, this excludes students and faculty from the general category from institutional support and grievance redressal. The plea argues that the current definition creates a hierarchy of protection, which is unconstitutional. This, it says, violates Articles 14 and 15(1) of the Constitution, which guarantee equality and prohibit discrimination based on caste, among other grounds. It also alleges a violation of Article 21, the right to life and dignity. The plea urges the Supreme Court to stop enforcing regulation 3(c) in its current form. It calls for a new, caste-neutral, constitutionally compliant definition of caste-based discrimination. The Court noted, “Caste-based discrimination should be defined so that protection is accorded to all persons discriminated against based on caste, irrespective of their specific caste identity.” Meanwhile, interim orders were sought to ensure that existing Equal Opportunity Centres, Equity Helplines, and Ombudsperson mechanisms under these rules remain accessible to all students without discrimination until the matter is reconsidered.