Respected Madam Rashtrapati,

The undersigned, individuals, representatives of social justice organizations and academic communities submit this memorandum to express profound concern regarding the Hon’ble Supreme Court’s interim stay on the UGC (Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions) Regulations, 2026.

Statement of Concerns:

Regulatory Regression: Reverting to the advisory 2012 guidelines undermines efforts to curb systemic caste-based discrimination and "institutional murders" within higher education.

Erosion of Accountability: The stay suspends critical mandates that hold institutional heads accountable and weakens the authority of Equal Opportunity Cells (EOCs).

Our Demands:

Legal Intervention: We request that the Government of India and the University Grants Commission (UGC) take immediate legal action to vacate the stay order of January 29, 2026, ensuring the full implementation of the 2026 Regulations.

Legislative Action: We urge Parliament to enact the "Rohith Act," providing a comprehensive legal framework to criminalize institutional discrimination and penalize caste-based harassment, to be applicable in all public and private bodies.

The Parliament should immediately enact a law to criminalise deliberate ignoring or manipulating Constitutional and legal Provision of Reservation for SC, ST and OBC, also by declaring NFS.

Constitutional Protection: The State must uphold its mandate to protect SC, ST, and OBC students from institutionalized social and academic marginalization.

We maintain that equity is a prerequisite for meritocracy and a just society. We look forward to your Excellency’s prompt intervention in this matter of national importance.

Respectfully submitted,  [Signed]