7. Measures for the Promotion of Equity:
HEIs shall take the following measures for the promotion of equity:-
Mandatory Personal Undertaking
Clause (a) of Regulation 7 provides for Mandatory Personal Undertaking as follows:
(a) HEIs shall ensure that all students at the time of taking admission or renewal of admission and all faculty members and staff furnish an undertaking to the effect that he/she shall promote equity and will not indulge himself/herself in any form of discrimination.
Every HEI must ensure that all students, faculty members, and staff sign a formal commitment. This undertaking is required at the time of admission or when a student renews their admission for a new year. By signing this, individuals legally promise to actively promote fairness and agree not to engage in any form of discrimination. There is no format given in regulations regarding this undertaking. In absence of uniform form of undertaking, HEI’s will create their own according to the bias of the equity committee. Undertaking is more than just a statement; it’s a solemn commitment to fulfill a duty, used to provide security or ensure compliance in various situations. HEIs are forced by the UGC equity regulations 2026 by compulsory signing such undertaking by all stakeholders. Such undertaking may be used as tools against the targeted students, especially from general category. India is secular and socialist country, but UGC regulations are harmful for this nature of our country. Without explaining these rules, signing such undertaking can be used against the students.
Online Accessibility of Rules
Clause (b) of regulation 7 provides for Online Accessibility of Rules as follows:
(b) The regulations and the equity helpline shall also be prominently made available on HEI’s website(s).
The institution is required to make these specific regulations and the contact details for the Equity Helpline easy to find. They must be clearly displayed on the official website of the university or college so that all stakeholders have constant access to the rules and help resources. As undertaking is made mandatory, then why UGC is not making it compulsory for every HEI to print and provide a hardcopy of these regulations on the expense of HEI? There is no procedure or mechanism mentioned in these regulations to explain these rules in simple and vernacular to all stakeholders including specifically general caste students under these regulations, but an undertaking is made mandatory.
Orientation and Stakeholder Meetings
Clause (c) of regulation 7 provides for Orientation and Stakeholder Meetings as follows:
(c) Before the commencement of each academic session, the Head of the Institution shall convene and address a meeting of various functionaries, such as hostel wardens, students, parents/ guardians, faculty, staff, district administration, police, as a part of the orientation programme, to discuss the measures to promote equity among stakeholders and also to create awareness about these regulations. A video of the meeting will be made available on the HEI website.
Before every new academic session begins, the Head of the Institution, such as the Vice-Chancellor or Principal, must hold a large-scale meeting. This meeting includes teachers, staff, students, parents, hostel wardens, and even local police and district officials. The goal is to explain the equity rules and plan how to implement them. To ensure transparency, a video recording of this entire meeting must be posted on the institution’s website. Will just one meeting in a year suffice for purpose of these regulations? Is there any data maintained by any HEI who are visiting or revisiting official website?
Fairness in Allocation and Segregation
Clause (d) of regulation 7 provides for Fairness in Allocation and Segregation as follows:
(d) HEIs shall ensure that any selection, segregation, or allocation for the purpose of hostels, classrooms, mentorship groups, or any other academic purposes is transparent, fair, and non-discriminatory.
Universities are strictly required to be transparent and fair when making administrative decisions. This applies specifically to how students are assigned to hostels, how classrooms are organized, how mentorship groups are formed, or any other academic grouping. The process must be documented and cannot be based on discriminatory factors. Grouping of students for academic purpose is necessary, but these regulations force HEI to group students on the basis of their caste, religion and gender to avoid conflicts between students and faculty member. Do these regulations are helping in goal of unity of this nation?
Public Display and Sensitization
Clause (e) of Regulation 7 provides for Public Display and Sensitization as follows:
(e) To promote equity, HEIs shall prominently display posters at appropriate places on the campus and organize workshops, events, etc.
To keep the message of equity visible, institutions must put up posters in prominent areas across the campus. Additionally, they are mandated to organize regular workshops, events, and activities that educate the campus community about fairness and inclusion. Is equity a duty assigned to only general category or is it collective duty of all? There is no policy to debunk historical claims of 5000 years of oppression in any single rule of this code, then how we as a society, infected by historical claims, can attain the goals of equity?
Professional Counseling Services
Clause (f) of Regulation 7 provides for Professional Counseling Services as follows:
(f) HEIs shall engage or seek the assistance of professional councellors for the counselling of students, faculty members, and staff.
The regulations require institutions to hire or seek help from professional counselors. These experts are not just for students; they must be available to provide mental health support and guidance to faculty members and staff as well, helping them navigate issues related to discrimination or campus environment. This clause is not clear on councelling of the student against whom the complaint is given. Regulation provides for rehabilitation of victim, but not clear on rehabilitation of student or any other person who is falsely accused of discrimination.
Compliance with UGC Guidelines
Clause (g) of Regulation 7 provides for Compliance with UGC Guidelines as follows:
(g) HEIs shall implement various guidelines issued from time to time by the UGC to promote equity, such as Guidelines to Provide Equitable Opportunity for the Socio-Economically Disadvantaged Groups (SEDGs) in the HEIs, etc.
HEIs are required to follow all specific instructions and guidelines issued by the UGC regarding equity. This specifically includes the “Guidelines to Provide Equitable Opportunity for the Socio-Economically Disadvantaged Groups (SEDGs),” ensuring that national standards for supporting underprivileged students are strictly met. As there is no commission for general category, there is no one to protect their rights. In absence of such commission of general category, there are no specific instructions and guidelines to cultivate merit by HEI. In absence of merit and intelligent students, HEI will lose their academic reputation.
Protection for Witnesses and Victims
Clause (h) of Regulation 7 provides for Protection for Witnesses and Victims as follows:
(h) Any student, faculty member, or staff, whether victims or witnesses to any incident of discrimination, shall be encouraged to report such occurrences, and their identity shall be protected if requested by the informant, and they shall be provided with necessary protection against retaliation or victimisation.
This clause creates a safe environment for reporting. It encourages anyone, whether they are a victim of discrimination or just a witness to it, to report what happened. If the person reporting asks for privacy, the institution must protect their identity. Furthermore, the HEI is legally obligated to protect these individuals from any form of revenge, bullying, or unfair treatment that might result from their decision to speak up. As witness can report under this clause, then there are high chances of misusing this clause even if two persons are talking in campus. Person reporting such incidences wearing shoes of witness can influence party from depraved class to fulfill his goals. This clause will not at all reduce the discrimination, instead huge number of false complaints will be raised. There is no framework in the regulations to reduce false cases. In present time, this nation need a specific statute to punish and prevent false cases under any statute, but we are not working on that.
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