The widespread protests against the new UGC regulations have led to the Supreme Court staying their implementation, citing concerns that the regulations could “divide society”. The editorial, too, even as it acknowledges caste privilege, stops short of examining how our institutions, including the proposed UGC regulations, fail to meaningfully challenge it. Indian caste policy remains narrowly legalistic. The protests against the UGC regulations are not an aberration; they are the predictable outcome of a long-neglected responsibility. As B R Ambedkar warned in Annihilation of Caste, political reform without social reform can never lead to lasting change.

Source: Indian Express February 05, 2026 06:22 UTC