Scholars at Risk (SAR) released its Free to Think 2026 report on September 15, identifying 42 “attacks” on higher education in India between July 1, 2025, and June 30, 2026-the highest tally among 59 countries and territories covered. Although the figure has placed India under international scrutiny, a critical analysis argues that it does not by itself demonstrate a systemic academic-freedom crisis because the report uses a broad classification without fully accounting for the scale of India’s higher-education system or the visibility of campus disputes.
“Attack” commonly suggests violence, persecution or silencing. SAR’s category, however, also includes imprisonment, loss of position, administrative decisions, restrictions on academic events, campus disputes, disciplinary proceedings and vaguely defined “other” incidents. According to the analysis, most of the 42 documented cases fall into these latter categories. Combining incidents of differing seriousness can obscure important distinctions through what it terms “statistical flattening.”
The absence of institutional context is another limitation. India’s Ministry of Education lists 1,213 universities, 46,624 colleges and 12,543 standalone higher-education institutions. The figure of 42 is therefore an absolute count, not a rate per university or student. Nor does it provide a like-for-like comparison with countries whose higher-education systems vary significantly in size. Meaningful international comparisons would require proportional measures, severity assessments and greater contextual analysis.
The report also highlights increased state regulation of universities, including governance, vice-chancellor appointments and contract faculty. Regulation of public institutions, however, is not necessarily equivalent to repression. Governments routinely establish rules governing appointments, finances and administration. The crucial distinction is between regulating universities and dictating what institutions or academics are permitted to think, teach or investigate.
Visibility may also influence the findings. SAR identifies incidents through media reports, NGO reports and other secondary sources while seeking primary information where possible. India’s active media, competitive political environment, vocal student organisations and strong protest culture can make campus disputes more visible. In more closed political systems, lower reporting levels may reflect either greater stability or greater difficulty documenting dissent.
The analysis concludes that incident databases can identify where conflicts occur but cannot, by themselves, establish their relative severity or prevalence. It argues that global academic indices should distinguish routine bureaucracy, campus activism and genuine intellectual repression to preserve their credibility.
The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect Firstpost’s position.
Original Source: https://www.firstpost.com/explainers/india-academic-freedom-what-free-to-think-2026-report-gets-wrong-14048876.html
Category: India
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Publish Date: 2026-09-28 17:58:00
