Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 10:07am on 07 Oct 2025,Tuesday India Global
Kaushik Raj, a 27-year-old journalist from Delhi, was denied a US student visa despite receiving a ₹89 lakh ($100,000) scholarship to study Data Journalism at Columbia University. Raj believes the rejection followed scrutiny of his social media posts about hate crimes and minority issues in India. The US cited “insufficient ties” to India. At least three other Indian students reportedly faced similar denials. The US State Department defended social media screening as vital for security. Data shows a 50% drop in Indian student arrivals in August 2025, reaching a four-year low of about 313,000. (PC: X)
