A graphic featuring a purported statement by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asserting that no further changes will be made to the new UGC regulations, has gone viral on social media. These regulations, introduced in 2026, aim to promote equity in higher education by addressing discrimination. However, they have sparked opposition from various groups concerned about potential misuse and ambiguity.
The above post can be seen here. (Archive)
NM VERIFIED
NewsMobile verified the claim and found it to be misleading.
The NM team initiated its verification by conducting a keyword search to trace any credible media reports or official statements attributed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding the new UGC regulations. However, this search did not yield any report, interview, or speech supporting the claim made in the viral graphic. Further, a scan of the Prime Minister’s official social media handles also showed no such statement or graphic shared by him.
We then examined recent developments related to the new UGC regulations and found that on January 29, the Supreme Court of India, as reported by The Hindu, stayed the implementation of the UGC’s newly notified regulations on the promotion of equity in higher education institutions. The apex court observed that certain provisions were vague and could potentially be misused. These regulations were introduced to replace the earlier framework in place since 2012 and were primarily aimed at addressing issues of caste-based discrimination on university campuses.
The court’s intervention came after weeks of protests, particularly by sections of students from the general or upper caste categories, who argued that the regulations unfairly defined caste-based discrimination and could lead to arbitrary complaints. The matter also has its roots in petitions filed by parents of students from marginalised communities who had died by suicide, bringing the issue of institutional discrimination under judicial scrutiny.
Notably, there has been no official statement from Prime Minister Narendra Modi either supporting or ruling out changes to the UGC regulations. With the matter currently under consideration and the regulations stayed by the Supreme Court, any claim suggesting a definitive stance by the Prime Minister is unsubstantiated.
Hence, it is evident that the viral graphic attributing such a statement to PM Modi is fake and misleading.
