Academic Freedom Index 2026: India in Severely Restricted Category

India has been placed in the “severely restricted” category in the 2026 Free to Think report by Scholars at Risk, which is an international organization that monitors attacks on the higher education. This report documented cases of suppression of academic freedom, university administration, research, teaching, or campus expression. India was placed in the category of “severely restricted” along with Hong Kong, Indonesia, Pakistan, the West Bank, and Ukraine.

Free to Think 2026 Report Highlights

Free to Think 2026 report documented 382 attacks on higher education communities in 59 countries and territories worldwide between July 1, 2025, and June 30, 2026.

In addition, the report evaluated information from the Academic Freedom Index (AFI) on the level of academic freedom in 179 countries. Over the last decade, the level of academic freedom has declined in 50 countries and improved in nine countries. According to the index, India’s score decreased from 0.38 in 2022 to 0.14 in 2025.

The report classified countries and regions into groups based on levels of restrictions to academic freedom.

Group	Countries/Territories
Severely restricted	India, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Pakistan, West Bank, Ukraine
Completely restricted	Afghanistan, China, Iran, Russia, Türkiye, Syria, Venezuela, Zimbabwe, Gaza

Note: The report provides additional information on the situation in each country and region, noting that the group’s level of restriction should not be used to compare AFI scores.

What Did the Report Say About India?

The report noted that the central government had implemented policies to govern higher education, including university administration, appointments, and curricula. The report also highlighted restrictions to campus discourse in Indian higher education institutions, including dismissals, cancellations, and limitations on student expression.

The report also referenced the University Grants Commission (UGC) and recent changes to higher education laws and regulations, including the removal of the 10 percent cap on faculty appointments in non-permanent, contractual positions and the proposed modification to eligibility criteria for the post of vice-chancellers.

These are just the findings and conclusions of the Scholars at Risk and the AFI.

AFI Scores For Different Countries/Territories

The report listed the AFI scores for different countries and regions. The AFI score for India is 0.14.

Country/Territory	AFI Score
India	0.14
China	0.10
Venezuela	0.12
Palestine/Gaza	0.06
Qatar	0.07
Türkiye	0.18
Afghanistan	0.17
Iran	0.08
Saudi Arabia	0.13
Belarus	0.07
North Korea	0.06
Myanmar	0.04

The report noted that group assignment was not necessarily based on a comparison of countries’ AFI scores. The report also noted that changes in academic freedom over time were also taken into account in determining the placement.

Instances of Restriction of Faculty Members and Students

There were a number of instances which involved faculty members of India.

In one of the instances, Snehashish Bhattacharya, professor at South Asian University, was fired in 2025. There was a link of this case with a 2022 letter signed by Bhattacharya and 14 other professors regarding how the university managed student protests.

The second instance is about Lora Santhakumar, assistant professor at SRM Institute of Science and Technology in Tamil Nadu. In this instance, it is stated that she was sacked in 2025 due to her social media posts against the calls for war when India-Pakistan relations worsened.

It is also reported that those students who participated in the protests were under pressure from the university management, police, and their rival student groups.

Government, University, and Academic Freedom

The report pointed to the connection between the policy of the government and institutional autonomy as a key concern in India. It mentioned that the issues relating to research, teaching, publication, academic conference, and university administration have become matters of contention.

Additionally, the report mentioned a March 11, 2026, Supreme Court order relating to three academics who were associated with NCERT with respect to Class 8 social sciences textbook. The report read that the court order prevents the scholars from receiving any government funding for developing the curriculum.

Why Does Academic Freedom Matters?

Academic freedom allows teaching, learning, research, publication, discussion, and debates to take place without interference.

Teaching and learning are core functions of higher education institutions, and academic freedom promotes intellectual independence and diversity within institutions. It is therefore of great importance to higher education.

However, academic freedom can sometimes be limited by universities, government, campuses, or other factors.