On April 22, 2022, Indian regulatory authorities announced that any degrees from Pakistani higher education institutions will no longer be recognized in India.
According to a joint notice issued by the University Grants Commission and All India Council for Technical Education, “[a]ny Indian national or [Indian] overseas citizen who intends to take admission in any degree college or educational institution of Pakistan shall not be eligible for seeking employment or higher studies in India.” The notice further stated that “all concerned are advised not to travel to Pakistan for pursuing higher education”.
The policy change was reportedly connected to tensions between India and Pakistan over Kashmir. In response to the announcement, Pakistan’s Foreign Office issued a statement that “Pakistan reserves the right to take appropriate measures in response to this openly discriminatory and inexplicable action by India.”
Scholars at Risk is concerned about efforts by officials to strip legitimately earned degrees of their value, and to restrict international academic travel and exchange. International engagement, including the sharing and exchange of ideas across borders and regardless of frontiers, is a core aspect of academic life. Arbitrary restrictions on such engagement, and the refusal to recognize degrees solely on the basis of the country in which they were earned, erode academic freedom and harm democratic society generally.
Sources:
https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20220429084852532