Academic freedom in India has been classified as “severely restricted” in the latest assessment cited by Scholars at Risk (SAR), an international network monitoring attacks on higher education.

SAR’s Free to Think 2026 report documented 382 attacks on higher education communities across 59 countries and territories between July 1, 2025, and June 30, 2026. The report highlighted government interference in university autonomy, restrictions on campus expression and pressure on student protesters.

The report also discussed India in the context of government involvement in higher education, including concerns about university governance, academic content and institutional autonomy. It referenced the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and raised concerns about political influence over universities and the role of the University Grants Commission (UGC).

According to the Academic Freedom Index 2026 update, academic freedom is assessed across 179 countries and territories using indicators including freedom to research and teach, academic exchange, institutional autonomy, campus integrity and academic expression.

SAR’s India-related monitoring has also recorded incidents involving restrictions on student protests and expression during the 2025-26 period, including cases involving Delhi University and the University of Hyderabad.

The report places India’s situation within a broader global decline in academic freedom, with government interference and restrictions on higher education emerging as recurring concerns across multiple countries.