India’s academic freedom has seen a sharp decline over the past decade, dropping from 0.6 to 0.2 points, according to the “Free to Think 2024” report by the Scholars at Risk (SAR) Academic Freedom Monitoring Project.
SAR, a global network of 665 universities including institutions like Columbia, Duke, and New York Universities, released the report highlighting India along with several other countries such as Afghanistan, China, Germany, Iran, and the U.S. Between July 2023 and June 2024, the report documented 391 attacks on higher education communities across 51 countries, as reported by The Hindu.
The report notes that India’s academic freedom has been significantly impacted between 2013 and 2023, with the index classifying the country as “completely restricted” – its lowest rating since the mid-1940s. Among the primary threats cited are efforts by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to assert political control over universities and promote a Hindu nationalist agenda. Additionally, policies have been introduced to curb student protests and dissent within academic institutions.
Examples of these restrictions include new rules at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and South Asian University (SAU). While JNU prohibited student protests near academic buildings, SAU implemented a complete ban on protests across campus.
The report also highlights ongoing conflicts between the BJP-led Union government and State governments over control of higher education. In Kerala, for example, Governor Arif Mohammed Khan, clashed with the State government over a legislative amendment aimed at removing him as Chancellor of State universities. The Kerala government subsequently appealed to the Supreme Court in April 2024, challenging President Droupadi Murmu’s decision to withhold assent to the amendment. Similar disputes have occurred in Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and Punjab, underscoring the broader struggle over education governance in India.
