We are two Indian citizens of the diaspora in the United States and strong supporters of your efforts to realize the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.
While the nation faces pressing international and domestic challenges, we feel it is our dharma to speak plainly about the University Grants Commission’s (UGC) 2026 equity regulations notified on January 13, 2026. Though intended to “promote equity in higher education,” these rules risk deepening social division. The Supreme Court’s interim stay until March 19, 2026 indicates serious legal and constitutional questions that merit urgent political attention.
We do not claim insight into the internal processes, personalities or pressures that produced these regulations. What matters now is preventing foreseeable harm. If unaddressed, the regulations could provoke widespread discontent within Indian society and have unfortunate consequences for the Indian diaspora abroad. They draw upon a simplistic oppressor–oppressed binary that overlooks India’s complex social fabric and aspirational ethos. If the aim is to discard a colonial mindset, adopting a polarizing Marxist framework is puzzling.
You have demonstrated political courage in reversing course when needed. We appeal to you to exercise that courage now. The long-term effects of these regulations may aggravate conflicts within Sanatan society and undermine efforts to restore civilizational confidence. Policies framed in ways that appear to favor one group over another risk entrenching identity politics where dialogue, upliftment and constitutional justice are required.
This is a leadership moment. Your voice as Pradhan Sevak carries decisive moral and political weight. It is important that the government clarify its position publicly before the Supreme Court proceeds, so the electorate—not the judiciary—hears the elected government’s rationale and intent. We respectfully request that you address the nation and make your stand clear by March 19, 2026.
Our core convictions are simple: reverse discrimination is still discrimination; measures that increase social division are unacceptable regardless of stated intent; meritocracy must be preserved even as we uphold constitutional commitments to uplift the socially and educationally backward. The Constitution mandates affirmative measures to assist the disadvantaged; those measures should be crafted to heal, not to divide. We further suggest adopting the dissolution of caste consciousness as an explicit national objective—an aspirational goal that unites rather than separates.
We oppose hate, abuse or discrimination of any kind. We support principled, Constitutionally grounded efforts to help the genuinely marginalized while protecting institutional standards and social cohesion. We are confident you possess the moral imagination to recalibrate policy when necessary. We urge timely course correction to prevent irreversible social fractures.
We look forward to hearing you speak to Bharat before the Court delivers its judgment.
Dhanyavad,
Mohinder Gulati
Ex Chief Operating Officer,
UN Sustainable Energy for All; Advisor, World Bank (Retired)
Rahul Sur
Indian Police Service (Retired); United Nations (Retired)
The views expressed above are the authors’ own and do not necessarily reflect Fair Observer’s editorial policy.
