Overview

• Professor Nitasha Kaul, a Kashmiri Pandit and UK-based academic, has had her Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) status cancelled by the Indian government as of May 18, 2025.
• The official notice accuses Kaul of engaging in 'anti-India activities' through her writings, speeches, and public engagements, which allegedly target India's sovereignty and institutions.
• Kaul has described the action as a 'vindictive and cruel' example of transnational repression, asserting it is retaliation for her scholarly critiques of anti-minority and anti-democratic policies under the Modi administration.
• In February 2024, Kaul was denied entry and deported from Bengaluru despite being invited by the Congress-led Karnataka government to speak on constitutional values.
• The revocation aligns with a broader pattern of OCI cancellations targeting diaspora academics critical of the Indian government, with some prior cases overturned by courts for lack of evidence.