UGC rules on caste discrimination: Why BJP government is ‘reconsidering’ its stand

Large scale protestss erupted after the Centre tweaked the UGC equity rules. (AI generate collage) 7 min readNew DelhiAug 21, 2026 12:38 PM IST First published on: Aug 20, 2026 at 08:42 PM IST With the BJP-led Centre telling the Supreme Court on Thursday that it is reconsidering the University Grants Commission’s (UGC) equity regulation that has been challenged before it, the Narendra Modi government has taken a calibrated step towards buying time to wriggle out of a situation that has led to signs of anger among upper castes, the core constituency of the party since 1989, over potential “misuse”. At the same time, the BJP has to tread cautiously, as the combined demographic weight of the Other Backward Classes (OBCs), Scheduled Castes (SCs), and Scheduled Tribes (STs) far exceeds the upper castes.