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India’s Academic Freedom Rated “Severely Restricted” in SAR’s 2026 Report
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Core Findings of the Free to Think 2026 Report
The Scholars at Risk (SAR) “Free to Think 2026” report, released on September 15, concludes that India’s academic freedom is “severely restricted.” The Academic Freedom Index (AFI) score fell to 0.14 in 2026, down from 0.16 in 2024, placing India alongside Hong Kong, Indonesia and Pakistan in the same category. SAR recorded 42 attacks on scholars in India—the highest number among the 59 countries surveyed between July 1 2025 and June 30 2026. Attacks encompass violence, imprisonment, dismissals and loss of positions.
Policy Shifts Under the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Government
SAR attributes the decline to expanded central control over higher education. The report also cites the Jammu and Kashmir government’s ban on the sale, distribution and possession of 25 books dealing with the region’s sociopolitical history.
Scope of Reported Attacks
The SAR Academic Freedom Monitoring Project documented 382 attacks arising from 321 verified incidents worldwide. In India, the incidents include:
- Dismissal of Michel Danino, guest professor at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Gandhinagar and chair of the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) social-science curricular group, after a Supreme Court “life ban” on three academics over a textbook reference to “corruption in the judiciary.”
- Termination of professor Snehashish Bhattacharya (South Asian University) following a 2022 letter protesting university handling of student protests.
- Firing of Lora Santhakumar (SRM Institute of Science and Technology) for social-media criticism of civilian casualties in Indian military action in Pakistan.
- Suspension of Virendra Balaji Shahre (Jamia Millia Islamia) for setting an exam question on atrocities against Muslim minorities.
Student-related incidents include police-filed FIRs at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) and Jamia Millia Islamia, a temporary blanket ban on public meetings at the University of Delhi, and clashes between right-wing Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and left-wing All India Students Association (AISA) and National Students’ Union of India (NSUI).
On-the-Ground Reports
Campus observers recorded that police stationed at the entrance of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in New Delhi in late 2025 (photo credit: PTI) exemplify the heightened security presence. At Delhi University, a seminar on “Land, Property and Democratic Rights” was cancelled for “administrative reasons,” with the convenor suspecting political interference. The University of Delhi’s post-ban policy now requires protest approval 72 hours in advance, warning that violations could lead to expulsion or police action.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
The SAR data list India with 42 attacks, while other outlets summarising the same report do not provide a differing figure, so no numerical discrepancy appears. However, the report does not disclose the outcomes of several alleged “life bans” after the Supreme Court’s May 22 modification allowing universities to decide independently on future curricular contributions, leaving the status of the three academics unclear.
What’s Next
No specific future hearings or policy deadlines are detailed in the sources.