The Supreme Court of India has issued an interim stay on the UGC Promotion of Equity in Higher Education Institutions Regulation, 2026, which arose from the case of Abeda Salim Tadvi v Union of India, focusing on caste-based discrimination in educational settings. The regulations specifically define caste-based discrimination to protect members of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes, emphasizing that caste is a persistent structure of marginalization. Critics argue that adopting a caste-neutral definition would undermine the recognition of systemic inequalities and dilute the law's effectiveness in addressing caste discrimination. The Constitution allows for differential treatment to remedy historical disadvantages, and a caste-neutral approach would ignore the hierarchies inherent in caste systems. The article stresses the importance of enforcing existing regulations and ensuring institutional accountability to truly achieve equality and dignity for marginalized students in higher education. Strengthening the UGC framework is essential to prevent caste-based harm and ensure that institutions are held accountable for their responses to discrimination.