Orsini’s deportation lays bare fragility of academic freedom
Scholars like Hany Babu remain imprisoned under draconian laws, often without trial for years, and some like GN Saibaba have passed away silently
Updated At : 07:16 AM Oct 25, 2025 IST
Irony: Orsini’s deportation risks alienating the very diaspora the government hopes to lure back home. Sandeep Joshi
INDIA stands at a paradoxical juncture in its pursuit of global academic leadership. On the one hand, the State declares its objective to reverse brain drain, wooing Indian-origin star faculty from elite institutions in the US, the UK and Europe with assurances of world-class laboratories, competitive salaries and opportunities for pioneering research. On the other hand, it has erected barriers against foreign scholars who have devoted their careers to studying India’s languages, history and culture.
