SAR’s Academic Freedom Monitoring Project investigates and reports attacks on higher education with the aim of raising awareness, generating advocacy, and increasing protection for scholars, students, and academic communities. Starting July 1, 2026, SAR no longer publishes reports for the incidents that it records. SAR continues to monitor and record incidents that will be used in the annual Free to Think report. This page provides a record of incidents reported up to that date. Learn more about the Academic Freedom Monitoring Project.

Date of Incident: October 13, 2023

Attack Types: Killings, Violence, Disappearances

Institution(s):Buxi Jagabandhu Bidyadhar Autonomous College

Region & Country:Southern Asia | India

New or Ongoing:New Incident

On October 13, 2023, around 40 students of the Biju Chhatra Janata Dal (BCJD) reportedly assaulted students affiliated with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) at Buxi Jagabandhu Bidyadhar (BJB) Autonomous College. Six students affiliated with ABVP were injured.

The conflict was apparently related to ABVP’s attempt to form a campus committee. The BCJD has already formed its campus committee, but opposed ABVP’s attempt, which according to the students resulted in the attack.

Badagda police intervened and dispersed the students. The injured students were taken to the hospital. Gulam Moiuddin Khan, the Principal of BJB College, stated that they would investigate the issue.

Scholars at Risk is concerned about violent attacks on campus by students against other students for their affiliation with a student group. Students must refrain from violence, especially on campus, and respect the right to freedom of association and freedom of expression, and university authorities must take reasonable measures to ensure safe living conditions for students. In addition to harm to the immediate victims, violent attacks on students undermine academic freedom and democratic society generally.

Sources:
*SAR identified this incident in data made publicly available by the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED)
https://odishatv.in/news/odisha/unrest-in-bjb-autonomous-college-six-students-injured-in-group-clash-217422
https://pragativadi.com/bjb-college-unrest-six-students-injured-in-group-clash/
https://odishabytes.com/6-students-injured-in-group-clash-in-bjb-college-in-bhubaneswar/