All posts tagged: regulations

Priyanka Chaturvedi welcomes SC stay on new UGC regulations, slams Centre

Priyanka Chaturvedi welcomes SC stay on new UGC regulations, slams Centre

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Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) lawmaker Priyanka Chaturvedi on Thursday welcomed the Supreme Court’s stay on the new University Grants Commission (UGC) regulations on equity in higher education, criticising the Central government for “abdicating its responsibility” amid widespread backlash over the guidelines. In a post on X, Chaturvedi said she was “trolled and abused” for her surname when she raised her voice against the new regulations, highlighting the vagueness of the guidelines, which she said were an attempt to “create further discrimination on campuses”. मुझे खुशी है कि माननीय सर्वोच्च न्यायालय ने हस्तक्षेप करते हुए UGC के उन दिशानिर्देशों पर रोक लगाई, जो अस्पष्ट, मनमाने थे और campuses में और अधिक भेदभाव पैदा करने का प्रयास थे। मुझे ट्रोल किया गया, गालियाँ दी गईं और मेरे surname को लेकर अपमानजनक शब्दों का इस्तेमाल किया गया – वो… pic.twitter.com/brUGiU6DcU — Priyanka Chaturvedi🇮🇳 (@priyankac19) January 29, 2026 “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, …

SC frames 4 questions of law on pleas challenging UGC regulations| India News

SC frames 4 questions of law on pleas challenging UGC regulations| India News

Published by Parlour News

New Delhi, The Supreme Court on Thursday said petitions challenging the University Grants Commission Regulations, 2026, raise substantial questions of law and framed four such questions for consideration. SC frames 4 questions of law on pleas challenging UGC regulations The court stayed the recent UGC equity regulations on preventing caste-based discrimination on campuses, saying the framework is “prima facie vague”, can have “very sweeping consequences” and may end up dividing the society with a “dangerous impact”. A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Baghchi observed that the regulations suffer from “certain ambiguities” and that “the possibility of their misuse cannot be ruled out”. The top court said it was of the prima facie view that the following four substantial questions of law arise for consideration and would require a detailed examination: Whether the incorporation of clause 3 in the impugned regulations, defining “caste-based discrimination”, bears a reasonable and rational nexus to subserve the object and purpose of the 2026 UGC regulations, particularly in light of the fact that no distinct or special …

SC stays UGC regulations on caste discrimination, says it is `capable of misuse`

SC stays UGC regulations on caste discrimination, says it is `capable of misuse`

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The Supreme Court on Thursday stayed the recent UGC Equity Regulations on preventing caste-based discrimination on campuses, observing they are prima facie “vague” and “capable of misuse”. The apex court orally observed that if it does not intervene in the matter, that would have a dangerous impact and divide the society. The Supreme Court order came after various pleas were filed contending that the University Grants Commission (UGC) adopted a “non-inclusionary” definition of caste-based discrimination and excluded certain categories from institutional protection. The regulations had triggered protests at various places, with student groups and organisations demanding its immediate rollback. While issuing notice to the Centre and the UGC, a bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi suggested that the regulations must be revisited by a committee comprising eminent jurists. “Issue notice, returnable on March 19. Solicitor General accepts notice…. Meanwhile, let UGC Regulations 2026 shall remain in abeyance and 2012 regulations shall continue,” the bench said. During the hearing, the bench observed,”Prima facie, we say that the language of the regulation is …

Protest intensifies against new UGC Equity Regulations; PIL filed in Supreme Court, BJP leader resigns over OBC clause

Protest intensifies against new UGC Equity Regulations; PIL filed in Supreme Court, BJP leader resigns over OBC clause

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A nationwide controversy has erupted over the University Grants Commission’s newly notified Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions Regulations, 2026, with a public interest litigation (PIL) now before the Supreme Court of India, political resignations in Uttar Pradesh, and protests spreading across several states. On January 13, 2026, the University Grants Commission (UGC) officially notified the Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions Regulations, 2026, replacing the earlier 2012 anti-discrimination framework. However, critics argue that key provisions are vague, one-sided and vulnerable to misuse, raising constitutional and procedural concerns. What the UGC’s 2026 equity regulations mandate Under the new framework, all universities and colleges are required to establish Equal Opportunity Centres, Equity Committees, grievance redressal mechanisms, monitoring teams and 24×7 helplines. These bodies are tasked with addressing complaints from students belonging to Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST) and Other Backward Classes (OBC). Also Read | Dharamshala Dalit college student death: UGC orders probe, says safety paramount Purpose of the Regulations: The new rules aim to promote fairness and inclusion in higher education. They …

Plea in Supreme Court challenges definition of caste discrimination in 2026 UGC regulations

Plea in Supreme Court challenges definition of caste discrimination in 2026 UGC regulations

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 The plea said the regulation violates the fundamental rights guaranteed under Articles 14 (right to equality) and 15(1), and Article 21 of the Indian Constitution. File | Photo Credit: Sushil Kumar Verma A plea was filed in the Supreme Court challenging a recently notified University Grants Commission (UGC) regulation, alleging that it has adopted a non-inclusionary definition of caste-based discrimination and excludes certain categories from institutional protection. The plea submitted that regulation 3(c) of the recently notified UGC (Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions) Regulations, 2026 is “non-inclusionary” and fails to protect students and faculty who do not belong to reserved categories. The plea, filed by Vineet Jindal, assailed the regulation on the grounds that caste-based discrimination is defined strictly as discrimination against members of the Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Other Backward Classes (OBC). It is said that by limiting the scope of “caste-based discrimination” only to SC, ST, and OBC categories, the UGC has effectively denied institutional protection and grievance redressal to individuals belonging to the “general” or non-reserved categories …

UGC notifies regulations to check caste bias on campuses | India News

UGC notifies regulations to check caste bias on campuses | India News

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New University Grants Commission (UGC) regulations notified on Tuesday mandate all higher education institutions to form ‘equity committees’ to look into discrimination complaints. According to the new UGC regulations — the University Grants Commission (Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions) Regulations, 2026 — the committees need to include members of Other Backward Classes (OBCs), Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), persons with disabilities, and women. A draft of the regulations was made public for feedback in February last year. The draft was issued after the Supreme Court told the UGC to submit the new regulations while hearing a plea by the mothers of Rohith Vemula and Payal Tadvi, questioning the implementation of 2012 UGC regulations. Vemula and Tadvi had died by suicide in 2016 and 2019, respectively, allegedly due to caste bias. The final regulations have done away with a section on ‘false complaints’, which, along with provision for fine or disciplinary proceedings, was there in the draft. Students and groups had raised objections about sections of the draft, including the definition of ‘discrimination’ …

Govt notification mandating new packing regulations worry seed companies | Pune News

Govt notification mandating new packing regulations worry seed companies | Pune News

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Seed sellers and distributors have been thrown off guard by a recent notification issued by the Central government, which mandates printing of QR codes as well as printed literature inside seed packets for the upcoming kharif season. With seed packets already shipped out, seed companies as well as dealers say the circular dated April 11 has been issued too late and needs to be relooked. The circular, signed by Dilip Kumar Srivastava, Deputy Commissioner of Agriculture and Famer’s Welfare Department, said “all seed selling agencies/companies are required to include a QR code on every seed packet, which links to information on the recommended package of practices in vernacular languages. In addition, a printed copy of this information must also be provided with the seed packet.” The circular has exempted packets that have 100 grams of seeds or less from the printed copy, but the QR code has to be included. Ajeet Mulay, managing director of Green Golds Seeds, a major seed player in the business, said while there is no problem in inserting both the …

UK AI Copyright Rules May Backfire, Causing Biased Models & Low Creator Returns

UK AI Copyright Rules May Backfire, Causing Biased Models & Low Creator Returns

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Image: pichetw/Envato Elements Barring companies like OpenAI, Google, and Meta from training AI on copyrighted material in the UK may undermine model quality and economic impact, policy experts warn. They say that it will lead to bias in model outputs, undermining their effectiveness, while rightsholders are unlikely to receive the level of compensation they anticipate. The UK government opened a consultation in December 2024 to explore ways to protect the rights of artists, writers, and composers when creative content is used to train AI models. It outlined a system that permits AI developers to use online content for training unless the rightsholder explicitly opts out. Bodies representing the creative industries largely rejected this proposal, as it put the onus on creators to exclude their content rather than requiring AI developers to seek consent. Tech companies didn’t like it either, arguing that the system would make it difficult to determine which content they could legally use, restrict commercial applications, and demand excessive transparency. During a recent webinar hosted by the Centre for Data Innovation think tank, …

How Paris saw big change in air pollution after bidding goodbye to cars | World News

How Paris saw big change in air pollution after bidding goodbye to cars | World News

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Paris has changed a lot over the last 20 years not just in the way it looks, but in the way it breathes. The French capital has taken big steps to cut car traffic, swap roads for bike lanes, and build more green spaces. As a result, the air has become much cleaner. According to The Washington Post, a group that monitors air quality in the region, Airparif, reported this week that fine particulate matter (PM2.5) has dropped by 55 percent since 2005. Nitrogen dioxide, another harmful pollutant, has fallen by 50 per cent. These changes, they said, are thanks to “regulations and public policies,” such as cutting down traffic and banning the most polluting vehicles. Heat maps from 20 years ago showed much of Paris glowing red with nitrogen dioxide, meaning nearly every neighbourhood was above the EU’s safe limit. But by 2023, the red had faded, showing only a few lines of pollution along major roads and highways. Story continues below this ad Health experts call air pollution a “silent killer” because it …

Kazakhstan and UAE Central Banks Sign MoU to Collaborate on VDA Regulations, CBDCs

Kazakhstan and UAE Central Banks Sign MoU to Collaborate on VDA Regulations, CBDCs

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Kazakhstan, aiming to advance trials of its digital Tenge CBDC this year, has sought the UAE’s expertise to explore the Web3 sector. In a recent development, the National Bank of Kazakhstan signed an MoU with the Central Bank of the UAE (CBUAE) to collaborate on fintech, cybersecurity, and CBDCs. Kazakhstan also intends to leverage the UAE’s experience in regulating virtual digital assets (VDAs) to shape its own regulatory framework. A delegation from Kazakstan’s National Bank visited the UAE last week to meet with officials from the CBUAE. During the meeting, officials from both agencies discussed topics like digital assets regulation and CBDC uses, the National Bank said in a statement. Key Details About the Meetings During their UAE visit, officials from the National Bank of Kazakhstan met with leaders from the Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) and the Dubai Financial Centre Authority (DFSA). Their focus was to learn how UAE’s financial hubs leverage advanced technologies for payments and transactions. Kazakhstan is evaluating whether similar strategies can be implemented within its crypto-friendly Astana International Financial Centre …