NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday allowed the University Grants Commission to notify the draft regulations 2025 which deal with ragging, sexual harassment and discrimination on the basis of caste, gender, disability, among other biases in institutions of higher learning.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh clarified that the University Grants Commission may proceed with finalisation of the draft regulations, 2025 dealing inter-alia with the issues and notify it.
The court said there will be numerous sections of society, voiceless people, who are eagerly waiting for these regulations, and it should not stand in their way.
The court was hearing a batch of PILs filed by the mother of Rohit Vemula and Payal Tadvi -- Radhika Vemula and A Salim Tadvi -- assailing caste discrimination in higher educational institutions.
The court also noted a judgment by a separate bench on March 24, 2025 considered the cases of suicides among students in such institutions and constituted a national task force (NTF) to address the mental health concerns of students to prevent such incidents.
"In light of this, we deem it appropriate to clarify that UGC may proceed with the finalisation of the draft regulations 2025 and may notify the same,” the bench said.
The court said the regulations, as held by this court in the case of Amit Kumar (March 24 verdict) operates in addition to the NTF's recommendations.
The court felt if the students get some kind of protection, respect, safety and security from these regulations, then let them get it.
During the hearing on Thursday, heated exchanges took place between senior advocate Indira Jaising, appearing for the petitioners, and Solicitor General Tushar Mehta. The woman lawyer at one of point of time threatened to walk out of the courtroom for alleged repeated disruptions in her arguments.
