New Delhi

Union Minister Giriraj Singh on Thursday welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision to put on hold the University Grants Commission’s (UGC) Equity Regulations, asserting that the rules had the potential to divide society and undermine Sanatan values.

The senior BJP leader said the apex court’s intervention was crucial for preserving India’s cultural harmony and civilisational ethos.

Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court stayed the UGC’s recently notified regulations aimed at preventing caste-based discrimination in higher educational institutions. The court observed that the provisions appeared prima facie vague and susceptible to misuse.

The bench also orally remarked that failure to intervene could have serious consequences and might contribute to social division.

Reacting to the order, Singh posted on social media platform X, thanking the Supreme Court for halting what he described as regulations that could fragment Sanatan Dharma. He said the ruling was an important step towards protecting the country’s cultural unity and traditional values.

The textiles minister added that the Modi government remained committed to the principle of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’ and to strengthening social cohesion rooted in Sanatan traditions.

The Supreme Court’s decision came in response to several petitions challenging the UGC regulations, which alleged that the definition of caste-based discrimination under the new framework was exclusionary and failed to extend adequate institutional safeguards to certain groups.

The regulations had sparked protests in multiple places, with various student bodies and organisations demanding their immediate withdrawal.

While issuing notice to the Centre and the UGC, a bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi indicated that the rules required reconsideration by a panel of eminent legal experts.

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The court directed that the 2026 regulations remain suspended for now, and that the earlier 2012 regulations continue to operate until further orders.