JNU, BHU and DU: How India's 3 legacy universities are reacting to UGC guidelines

A single set of UGC guidelines triggered very different reactions on India's campuses. After the Supreme Court's stay on UGC guidelines, universities across the country have already been divided by politics and identity. What followed at JNU, BHU and DU told three different stories.

The Supreme Court’s stay on the UGC Equity Regulations did not bring calm to university campuses. Instead, it triggered sharply different responses across India’s legacy universities.

In the torch-lit corridors of Jawaharlal Nehru University, students demanded the enactment of a central anti-discrimination law for higher education and full implementation of the UGC Equity Regulations, warning that justice delayed on campus could spill into the streets.

Meanwhile, at Banaras Hindu University, SC, ST, and OBC students marched with letters, placards, and citations of official reports, calling for an Equal Opportunity Centre, an Equity Committee, and transparent procedures to tackle discrimination.

At Delhi University, Left-backed student groups rallied for the stalled regulations to be enforced across all institutions, highlighting the urgent need to protect the rights of marginalised students.

Together, the responses from JNU, BHU and DU showed not just disagreement over a regulation, but a deeper divide in how India’s legacy universities view caste, equity and reform. Protest at JNU

Jawaharlal Nehru University students protested against the Supreme Court stay on the UGC Equity Regulations and demanded the immediate enactment of the Rohit Act and implementation of the UGC rules.