Tharoor Urges 'Thicker Skin' After Deportation of UK Hindi Scholar

Overview

• Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said turning away foreign academics for minor visa issues harms India’s image more than critical academic writing.
• Tharoor’s remarks followed Swapan Dasgupta’s column arguing the state must ensure visa compliance without evaluating a scholar’s work.
• Government sources say Francesca Orsini was blacklisted in March 2025 for violating visa conditions, including conducting research on a tourist visa.
• Orsini, a SOAS professor emerita, was denied entry in Delhi last month after arriving from Hong Kong and was deported, drawing criticism from academics and opposition leaders.
• Historian Ramachandra Guha condemned the decision, and media reports differ on whether Orsini held a valid five-year e-visa, fueling calls for clarity on the government’s process.