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: July 10, 2024

Attack Types: Killings, Violence, Disappearances | Imprisonment

Institution(s):Osmania University

Region & Country:Southern Asia | India

New or Ongoing:New Incident

On July 10, 2024, police beat and detained at least 15 student protesters and activists of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi Vidyarthi (BRSV) during a protest at Osmania University. 

Students had gathered to demand the postponement of the District Selection Committee exam. When they attempted to burn an effigy of the Telangana Chief Minister, police intervened by beating and detaining students for several hours. 

Scholars at Risk is concerned by the use of force by police to disperse students exercising their peaceful rights to freedom of expression and freedom of assembly—conduct that is expressly protected by international human rights instruments including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. State authorities have a responsibility to refrain from restricting the nonviolent exercise of such rights. In addition to the harm to the immediate victims, the use of force to restrict or deter nonviolent student expression undermines academic freedom and democratic society more generally.

Sources:

*SAR identified this incident in data made publicly available by the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED)
New Indian Express; The Hindu
https://www.aninews.in/news/national/general-news/hyderabad-20-detained-during-protest-at-osmania-university-to-postpone-dsc-exam20240709214925/#:~:text=Hyderabad%20(Telangana)%20%5BIndia%5D,at%20Osmania%20University%20in%20Hyderabad.https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/education/news/hyderabad-20-detained-during-protest-at-osmania-university-to-postpone-dsc-exam/articleshow/111627053.cms
https://x.com/Krishank_BRS/status/1810968798213853649?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1810968798213853649%7Ctwgr%5Ee3c94095fdbc7af546aed61130fa19a3dbc148e3%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.siasat.com%2Fhyderabad-police-assault-ou-student-protesting-deferment-of-dsc-exam-3059405%2F
https://www.siasat.com/hyderabad-police-assault-ou-student-protesting-deferment-of-dsc-exam-3059405/