The controversial January regulations expanded institutional safeguards against caste-based discrimination to explicitly include Other Backward Classes alongside Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. In response, general category students and upper-caste organizations launched demonstrations demanding a complete repeal over fears of false complaints and inadequate protections for non-reserved students. Setting up a review committee allows Union leadership to address these upper-caste grievances while shielding the Bharatiya Janata Party from a potential backlash among Dalit and OBC voters.
Key points
Establishing a committee lets the central government defer a final decision ahead of cruc…: Establishing a committee lets the central government defer a final decision ahead of crucial assembly elections like Uttar Pradesh.
Completely rolling back the rules risks alienating OBC and Dalit communities that represe…: Completely rolling back the rules risks alienating OBC and Dalit communities that represent a critical part of the ruling party's coalition.
Proponents argue explicit safeguards are necessary, whereas opponents fear the current wo…: Proponents argue explicit safeguards are necessary, whereas opponents fear the current wording effectively excludes general category students from institutional protection.
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NEW DELHI: Centre's move to consider a fresh review of the controversial UGC equity regulations are being seen as an olive branch to agitating upper caste groups, while giving BJP room to avoid a fresh caste controversy ahead of the assembly elections, particularly in Uttar Pradesh.The regulations, which extended specific protection against caste-based discrimination to OBCs alongside SCs and STs, had triggered protests among general category students who feared exclusion and possible misuse of the provisions.Centre told Supreme Court Thursday that it was contemplating setting up a committee to reconsider the regulations, ensuring that no section of students felt excluded or apprehensive. The move gives govt time to revisit the issue without committing itself to either withdrawing or retaining the rules.A complete rollback has been a key demand of upper caste organisations, whose protests also caused unease within BJP. Union ministers J P Nadda and Jitendra Singh have been leading govt's outreach to agitating youth outfits. Both had met representatives of Kshatriya Karni Sena-led 'UGC Rollback Campaign' in Sept, after which a proposed mahapanchayat was postponed.
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