All posts tagged: regulations

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

Published by Parlour News

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

Published by Parlour News

 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

Published by Parlour News

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

Published by Parlour News

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

Published by Webster

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

Published by Parlour News

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

Published by Webster

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 …

3 Ways the UK Government Plans to Tighten Cyber Security Rules with New Bill

3 Ways the UK Government Plans to Tighten Cyber Security Rules with New Bill

Published by Webster

Amid a sharp spike in ransomware attacks disrupting essential services and critical infrastructure, the U.K. government has set out the scope of its upcoming Cyber Security and Resilience Bill for the first time. It aims to patch the holes in the country’s existing cyber regulations and protect critical infrastructure from ransomware and other attack types. “The Cyber Security and Resilience Bill, will help make the UK’s digital economy one of the most secure in the world – giving us the power to protect our services, our supply chains, and our citizens – the first and most important job of any government,” technology secretary Peter Kyle said in a press release. On April 1, the government released the Cyber Security and Resilience Policy Statement, outlining the proposed bill and some additional measures currently under consideration. It is expected to be introduced in Parliament later this year, although no exact implementation timeline has been confirmed. There are three main facets to the bill: expanding the regulatory scope, strengthening the powers of regulators, and allowing the government to …

India likely to train certain countries on best practices in drug regulations | Latest News India

India likely to train certain countries on best practices in drug regulations | Latest News India

Published by Parlour News

New Delhi, India is likely to provide practical insights to certain countries on the best practices in drug regulations and the impactful initiatives taken by the Indian drug regulators, officials said on Wednesday. India likely to train certain countries on best practices in drug regulations The National Institute of Health and Family Welfare , an autonomous organisation under the Union health ministry, has proposed training programmes for the drug regulators of African, South East Asian and SAARC countries on drug and regulatory aspects and sharing of expertise as part of the Ministry of External Affairs’ International Training and Education Center for Health programme. Proposals for training have been drafted by the NIHFW in collaboration with Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation and have been sent to the health ministry, said NIHFW Director Dr Dheeraj Shah. Training would be imparted on the various aspects of vaccine and drug trials that are conducted in India and the procedure of marketing authorisation for new vaccines and drugs, Dr Shah elaborated. As part of the programme, countries would be informed …

Australia Proposes Regulations for Crypto Exchanges, Custody Services, Brokerage Firms: Details

Australia Proposes Regulations for Crypto Exchanges, Custody Services, Brokerage Firms: Details

Published by Webster

The Australian government has proposed a regulatory framework to oversee crypto exchanges, custody services, and brokerage firms. The Australian Treasury Department is working with the crypto industry to seek inputs on required regulations. In a statement released on Friday, March 21, Australia said it wants to help the virtual digital assets (VDAs) industry to grow while mitigating potential risks. The development comes about two months ahead of Australia’s federal elections, that is slated for May 17. The new crypto rules in Australia will lay focus on governing the digital assets platforms (DAPs), the Treasury department said in its statement. The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) is also part of this regulatory process. “The new DAP regime will not impose a new regulatory burden on digital asset issuers themselves, or on businesses that create or use digital assets for non-financial purposes. The aim is to mitigate key risks for consumers so the sector can safely and securely innovate and grow,” the Australian financial authority said. Crucial Highlights from Proposed Guidelines The Australian Treasury department under …