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British Indian professor loses OCI status
The Indian government has broad discretionary powers under the Citizenship Act to cancel OCI for a range of reasons, including “violation of any law.”
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Malvika Choudhary - Mon, 19, May 2025
- 13:55 EDT
- 0
Nitasha Kaul / University of Westminster
The Government of India revoked the Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) status of British-Indian academic Nitasha Kaul, citing her alleged involvement in "anti-India activities."
The cancellation notice, shared by Kaul on social media on May 18, accuses her of engaging in "numerous inimical writings, speeches and journalistic activities" that purportedly target India's sovereignty and institutions.
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“A bad faith, vindictive, cruel example of TNR (transnational repression) punishing me for scholarly work on anti-minority & anti-democratic policies of Modi rule,” Kaul wrote on X, along with an image of the official notice.
She further added, “Know that arresting academics in India for speaking against hate is closely tied to removing access to country & family for academics outside India. Idea is to send a signal — don’t dare challenge us within & don’t dare analyse what’s going on to convey to audiences outside.”
Know that arresting academics in #India for speaking against hate is closely tied to removing access to country & family for academics outside India.
— Professor Nitasha Kaul, PhD (@NitashaKaul) May 18, 2025
Idea is to send a signal — don’t dare challenge us within & don’t dare analyse what’s going on to convey to audiences outside. https://t.co/Gn4DgZRBH2
Kaul, who is a Kashmiri Pandit and a Delhi University alumna, has been a vocal critic of the Indian government’s policies, especially in Jammu and Kashmir. In 2019, she testified before the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee, highlighting human rights concerns in the region following the abrogation of Article 370.
In February 2024, Kaul was deported from Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport just hours after arriving in India. She had been invited by the Karnataka government to participate in a “Constitution and National Unity” event, but immigration officials cited a lookout circular against her for “anti-India and pro-separatist views.”
The Indian government has broad discretionary powers under the Citizenship Act to cancel OCI registrations for a range of reasons, including “violation of any law.”
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