The Delhi High Court on Wednesday declined to urgently hear a plea challenging the Delhi Police’s refusal to permit a protest at Jantar Mantar on September 20 against the recently notified University Grants Commission (Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions) Regulations, 2026.
The plea was mentioned before a Division Bench headed by Chief Justice D.K. Upadhyaya, which said the matter would be auto-listed on Thursday if the defects in the petition were cured.
The petitioner’s counsel stated that the Delhi Police had initially approved the September 20 protest before later withdrawing permission.
In response, the Delhi High Court directed the petitioner to rectify any procedural defects in the filing, noting that the petition would be auto-listed and must be heard prior to the scheduled September 20 demonstration.
The petition has been filed by Dr. Raj Shekhawat, President of Kshatriya Karni Sena, seeking permission to hold the protest against the 2026 Regulations. Earlier this month, a Single Judge had directed Shekhawat to submit a fresh representation to the Delhi Police seeking permission for the proposed protest.
Shekhawat has relied on a Supreme Court order keeping the 2026 Regulations in abeyance. The Supreme Court had prima facie observed that certain provisions of the Regulations suffered from ambiguities and could potentially lead to misuse.
The 2026 Regulations were framed by the University Grants Commission (UGC) with the stated objective of promoting “equity” in higher educational institutions and addressing caste-based discrimination on campuses.
The Regulations have nevertheless faced opposition from sections of students and organisations, who have alleged that some of their provisions could operate adversely against students belonging to the “general” category.
The High Court is expected to consider the plea after the defects in the petition are cured and the matter is auto-listed.
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