India’s Academic Freedom Is ‘Severely Restricted’: What Scholars At Risk’s 2026' Report Says

Academic freedom in India is “severely restricted”, according to Scholars at Risk, an international network that monitors attacks on higher education. In its report, titled Free to Think 2026, says growing Central government authority over higher education has influenced university governance, leadership appointments and academic priorities.

The report also points to actions by university administrators that it says have curbed campus discourse and student expression. These include dismissing faculty members, cancelling academic events and introducing policies that restrict student expression.

What Report Says About Academic Freedom

Scholars at Risk documented 382 attacks on higher education communities across 59 countries and territories between July 1, 2025, and June 30, 2026.

The report also cited data from the 2026 Academic Freedom Index, which showed that academic freedom had declined significantly in 50 of the 179 countries analysed over the past decade. Only nine countries recorded improvements during the same period.

India was placed in the report’s “severely restricted” category, alongside Hong Kong, Indonesia, Pakistan, the West Bank and Ukraine.

The lowest category, “completely restricted”, included Afghanistan, China, Iran, Russia, Turkiye, Syria, Venezuela, Zimbabwe and Gaza.

The report warned about government campaigns to silence dissent and enforce political compliance in higher education.

Why India Classified As 'Severely Restricted'

On India, the report said the Central government had expanded its authority over higher education, influencing university governance, leadership appointments and academic priorities.

It also said university administrators had taken steps that stifled campus discourse. These included dismissing faculty members, cancelling academic events and enforcing new policies restricting student expression.

The report said both students and police committed acts of violence at protests or other campus gatherings.

It also alleged that the BJP continued to use the University Grants Commission as a “primary vehicle for state influence” over higher education.

According to the report, the UGC had faced scrutiny over policies that were perceived to tighten government control over universities. These included loosening academic qualification requirements for vice-chancellors and removing the 10% cap on non-permanent, contract faculty.

Academic Freedom Index Data

The report cited Academic Freedom Index data showing that India’s score fell from 0.38 in 2022 to 0.14 in 2025.

It said this decline was part of a wider global pattern. In the US, institutional autonomy fell from 3.3 in 2019 to 1.7 in 2025, with the score dropping from 2.4 in 2024 alone.

Faculty Dismissals And Social Media Posts

The report cited several cases in India as examples of what it described as suppression of dissent.

One was the 2025 termination of South Asian University professor Snehashish Bhattacharya for “misconduct against university interests”. Bhattacharya and 14 other faculty members had signed a November 2022 letter raising concerns about the university’s handling of student protests in October that year.

Another case involved Lora Santhakumar, an assistant professor at the SRM Institute of Science and Technology in Tamil Nadu. The report said she was fired in 2025 over a social media post concerning Indian military action in Pakistan.

On May 7, 2025, Santhakumar shared WhatsApp status updates opposing calls for war. One post said, “Say NO to war. And don't be afraid to say so, even if it is not the popular opinion.”

Her phone number and photograph were later circulated widely on social media, leading to online abuse and death threats. The university suspended her on May 8 and terminated her services on December 9, 2025.

Protests And Cancelled Academic Events

The report said universities that cancelled academic events often cited the content of the event or statements made outside the university by invited speakers.

It also said student protesters faced pressure from university authorities, police and opposing student factions.

According to the report, policy shifts, academic decisions and debates over national identity, caste, religion and historical interpretation contributed to student protests. Some demonstrations resulted in clashes between opposing student factions.

The report further said national and state government actors took actions that constrained freedom of research, teaching and publication.

The NCERT Textbook Case

The report cited a March 11, 2026 Supreme Court order as another example. It said the court imposed a “life ban” on three academics from receiving public funding for curriculum development.

The case was linked to a Class 8 social science textbook prepared with NCERT. According to the report, the Supreme Court said the textbook projected a negative image of the judiciary.

Overall, Free to Think 2026 placed India within a broader global decline in academic freedom and cited faculty dismissals, cancelled academic events, student protests, policy changes and restrictions on research, teaching and publication as examples of what it viewed as a narrowing space for academic debate.