One of the world’s prestigious universities, Harvard University, is in the headlines, not for its academic attainments and unique and iconic programmes. The Trump administration has said it is freezing more than $2bn (£1.5bn) in federal funds for Harvard University, hours after the elite college rejected a list of demands from the White House. The backlash came as the institution rejected the American president’s demands. What happened between Harvard and the Trump administration? The Trump Admin blames Harvard has not doing enough to protect Jewish students from antisemitic (anti-Jewish) discrimination and harassment on campus. Is Harvard facing somewhat the same challenges as India’s Jawaharlal Nehru Institution is facing? Here is some analysis..
Gaza And Kashmir In The Top Varsities
Whatever happens in Kashmir is often first reflected and protested on the Jawaharlal Nehru(JNU) campus. Students used to rally aggressively against the government. Protests regularly break out, with some students even voicing strong support for Kashmir Liberation—and at times, even raising slogans in praise of Pakistan. Many who are still students of the JNU are facing sedition charges. Similarly, Harvard has witnessed rallies and protests on campus since the outbreak of the Gaza war, which began on 7th October 2023.
Afsal Guru Hanging And Sedition Charges On JNU Students
On 9 February 2013, a protest broke out on campus against the hanging of Mohammed Afzal Guru, a Kashmiri man convicted in the 2001 Indian Parliament attack. India’s prestigious university saw the chanting of anti-India slogans. This led to the arrest of JNU student union head Kanhaiya Kumar on sedition charges, and it also named five other organisers. The arrest led to protests and clashes in Delhi and universities across India.
Umar Khalid, Anirban Bhattacharya, Ashutosh Kumar, Anant Prakash Narayan, Riyazul Haq and Rama Naga were the other five who went missing the next day. After Narendra Modi became Prime Minister in 2014, following a sweeping general election victory, the JNU campus experienced a comprehensive political and financial crackdown — a condition widely believed to persist, with the Modi government maintaining a quiet but firm grip over the institution.
Harvard And Palestinian Support
Since the Gaza war, Harvard saw many protests and demonstrations that expressed solidarity with the Palestinians and Gaza. The campus also saw Israel portrayed as the only one responsible for the suffering in Gaza. Reports have emerged alleging that Islamic radicals have infiltrated the world’s top university, influencing students and fueling unrest in the name of Palestinian liberation. There have also been allegations of Islamic funding behind these movements.
The Trump administration had already placed Harvard on its hit list, as the university witnessed anti-government activism in response to its 2025 policies. The administration actively planned ways to reform the university, aiming to eliminate alleged Islamic radical supporters. The cut of $2bn (£1.5bn) was just the first step of the Trump government to tackle the situation. The cut was made over allegations of unchecked antisemitism and diversity program issues. Protests, like the April 2025 rally of 300 students, opposed these financial pressures, visa revocations for pro-Palestinian activists, and U.S. support for Israel’s actions in Gaza, linking domestic and global grievances.
“Harvard Has Been Institutionally Racist“
The other allegations that Harvard is facing are of the ‘racist’ charge, which involved certain data quoted by X handles against the university. Harvard’s admissions policies have been under scrutiny since the 2023 Supreme Court ruling in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, which banned race-based admissions, citing violations of the Equal Protection Clause.
The New York Times Report In 2018
The New York Times Report said that, Harvard consistently rated Asian-American applicants lower than others on traits like “positive personality,” likability, courage, kindness and being “widely respected,” according to an analysis of more than 160,000 student records filed Friday by a group representing Asian-American students in a lawsuit against the university.
Asian-Americans scored higher than applicants of any other racial or ethnic group on admissions measures like test scores, grades and extracurricular activities, according to the analysis commissioned by a group that opposes all race-based admissions criteria. But the students’ personal ratings significantly dragged down their chances of being admitted, the analysis found.
Barack Obama Responds to Trump’s Latest Move on X
The former U.S. President Barack Obama criticised Trump’s latest move against the university on X, sharing his view on the matter. He posted ” Harvard has set an example for other higher-ed institutions – rejecting an unlawful and ham-handed attempt to stifle academic freedom, while taking concrete steps to make sure all students at Harvard can benefit from an environment of intellectual inquiry, rigorous debate and mutual respect. Let’s hope other institutions follow suit.”
Harvard has set an example for other higher-ed institutions – rejecting an unlawful and ham-handed attempt to stifle academic freedom, while taking concrete steps to make sure all students at Harvard can benefit from an environment of intellectual inquiry, rigorous debate and… https://t.co/gAu9UUqgjF
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) April 15, 2025
In response to Obama’s Post, a handle named i/o replied: Harvard has been institutionally racist for over fifty years. It’s likely that even you benefited from its racist admissions policies when you were accepted at its law school. The handler has also shared some data regarding this.
His Post Here..
Mr. Obama,
Harvard has been institutionally racist for over fifty years. It’s likely that even you benefited from its racist admissions policies when you were accepted at its law school. pic.twitter.com/qWWiCI8tsR
— i/o (@rational_wiki) April 15, 2025
