And the Supreme Court just gave them four more weeks to decide. This isn’t just policy tinkering. This is about whether India’s universities will finally become safe spaces for Dalit, Adivasi, and OBC students; or if they’ll remain battlegrounds. The regulations were born from tragedy: the suicides of Rohit Vemula and Payal Tadvi. Their mothers, Radhika and Abeda, have been fighting since 2019 for a system that doesn’t force students to choose between dignity and degrees. The UGC’s 2026 rules tried to fix that; but now, some are calling them ‘anti-general category’. One provision, Regulation 3(1)(c), is especially controversial; it names ‘caste-based discrimination’ openly. Critics say it should be ‘caste-neutral’. Supporters say that’s like asking a doctor to treat cancer without naming the disease. The Court didn’t take sides today; it just waited. But the clock is ticking. And for students still facing abuse in hostels, lecture halls, and labs? Time isn’t a luxury. It’s survival.