India’s Academic Freedom Index Plummets to Historic Low

New York: India’s position in the Academic Freedom Index has sharply decreased, reaching the lowest level since the mid-1940s. This decline has occurred over the last ten years, as per the latest findings.

According to Kashmir Media Service, the decline was detailed in the “Free to Think 2024” report by the New York-based Scholars at Risk (SAR) Academic Freedom Monitoring Project. The project collaborates with 665 universities globally, including Columbia University, Duke University, and New York University, and has documented 391 attacks on higher education communities in 51 countries from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024.

The analysis shows that India’s academic freedom score decreased from 0.6 in 2013 to 0.2 in 2023, a significant drop over the decade. The report attributes this decline primarily to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) efforts to control educational institutions and enforce a Hindu nationalist agenda. Moreover, the introduction of policies that restrict student protests has significantly curtailed dissent and free expression on campuses.

The impact of these policies is profound, as India is now categorized as “completely restricted” on the Academic Freedom Index. The report also points to specific policy changes at institutions like Jawaharlal Nehru University and South Asian University, which limit student engagement and expression, thereby suppressing critical academic discourse and undermining institutional autonomy.

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