Bandipora, Jammu and Kashmir: In the narrow lanes of Hajin town in Bandipora, a district 55 km north of Srinagar, a young boy named Mohammad Azhar nurtured a dream from childhood—the dream of entering one of India’s top engineering institute—the Indian Institutes of Technology or the IITs. 

When he could not get admission to an IIT after his class 12 exams, Azhar joined the Central University of Kashmir to pursue a degree in physics, eventually completing both his bachelor's and master's there. 

But the IIT dream remained alive.

Choosing physics as his academic path only deepened his aspiration to reach IIT someday—this time as a researcher.

After successfully qualifying the GATE (Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering) exam with AIR 1800 in physics in 2024, Azhar focused all his energy on preparing for a PhD opportunity at IIT Jodhpur.

For nearly a year, he worked with unwavering determination.

Then came the moment he had been waiting for: an email from IIT Jodhpur. He had been shortlisted for an interview for the PhD program in physics, scheduled for 2 May 2025. 

"It was the happiest moment of my life. I couldn’t believe my eyes,” said Azhar. “I always knew the hardest part was just getting shortlisted—the interview, I could handle. I had prepared for this day for a whole year."

IIT Jodhpur had always been his top choice. He admired the faculty and found his research interests aligned with theirs. Among all his classmates, only two of them received an interview call from IIT Jodhpur — Azhar and his best friend. 

"We were both thrilled," said Azhar.

That joy did not last long.

The Videos & The Backlash

On 25 April, the same day he received the interview email, Azhar came across disturbing videos circulating on social media. The clips showed Kashmiri students in different parts of India being attacked and threatened. 

The scenes shook him deeply and filled him with anxiety.

“At first, I didn’t show the videos to my parents, but they somehow ended up seeing them on social media,” said Azhar.

“I knew that if they watched those clips, they would never allow me to attend the interview. I was scared too. ‘I’m terrified, but this is about my future,’ I told myself.” 

Following the Pahalgam terrorist attack in which 26—all except one Hindu—were killed on 22 April 2025, Kashmiri students and vendors faced a backlash across various states, particularly in northern India.

On 25 April, Article 14 reported that Kashmiri students in Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, and in the Jammu division of Jammu and Kashmir were facing intimidation, threats and isolation. 

Kashmiri students remain extremely vulnerable outside the region, with a recurring pattern of violence and forced evictions surfacing whenever tensions escalate. 

Six years ago, in the aftermath of a deadly terrorist attack in the central Pulwama district, which claimed the lives of 40 security personnel in February 2019, Kashmiris nationwide faced harassment, eviction threats, and physical assault and were branded traitors and terrorists.

Nasir Khuehami, the national convenor of Jammu & Kashmir Students Association (JKSA), a Srinagar-based student union, at the time, said that they were receiving between 600 to 700 calls daily, requesting assistance from Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Jammu. 

However, Khuehami noted that the circumstances following Pulwama and today are not the same, as Kashmiris across the board have unanimously condemned the killing of civilian tourists, they have established a “mechanism” for seeking and providing help, and the authorities are now responsive to their appeals for intervention. 

On 20 May, we reported on the numerous hate crimes targeting Indian Muslims in the three weeks following the terrorist attack in Pahalgam. 

‘I Didn’t Want To Take The Risk’

As more disturbing videos started circulating, the situation felt increasingly unsafe for Kashmiri students, Azhar said he wrote to IIT Jodhpur, requesting them to conduct my interview online, saying the atmosphere was becoming too hostile. 

However, to Azhar’s disappointment, he never received a response via email. After repeatedly trying to reach out, he finally managed to get through to the official contact number of IIT Jodhpur. 

The reply left him stunned — the institution informed him that the interview could not be conducted in an online mode.

“I was shocked,” Azhar said. “An entire academic year of preparation has gone to waste.”

Disheartened but not defeated, he now plans to try again next year. “This time, I’ll apply to institutions in southern India,” he said. “They may be far from Kashmir, but at least they’re safer for students like us.”

We emailed IIT Jodhpur on 20 May but have not received a response yet. We will update the story as soon as we hear back from them.

‘We Were Too Afraid To Even Open The Door’

What shook students was the absence of meaningful support — neither local authorities nor university officials stepped up to ensure their safety. Instead of offering protection, the most common response was to send students back home. Now, many are left questioning whether it’s even safe or worthwhile to return to their campuses.

Asif Shabir Dar, a first-year student in operation theatre technology at St. Soldier’s College in Jalandhar, affiliated with IK Gujral Punjab Technical University, was forced to flee to Kashmir along with fellow Kashmiri students after a violent mob barged into their paying guest accommodation. 

“They came straight to our rooms — it was as if they knew exactly where the Kashmiris were staying,” Dar said. “The attackers hurled abuses and physically assaulted some students.”

Terrified, the Kashmiri students locked themselves in a room and survived only on water for three days. “We were too afraid to even open the door,” he said. 

Despite calling and emailing the university administration multiple times, there was no response — not even until they had reached home. “Only silence,” Dar said.

With no protection in sight, they fled the city at night, hiding in a truck after a cab driver demanded Rs 17,000 for just two people. The experience has left  Dar shaken.

Though he returned to Jalandhar for semester exams, his parents are urging him to quit. 

Dar said he is now thinking of leaving the course and applying to a college in Kashmir. 

“I just don’t feel safe anymore,” he said.

‘I Won’t Get Another Life’

Gazi Salahuddin, a final-year Urdu literature student from Kulgam, had set his heart on joining Jamia Millia Islamia in Delhi for his master’s. Though he had never been outside Kashmir before, he had spent the past two years preparing for the entrance exam, confident he would qualify.

His exam was scheduled for 3 May, and he had intended to leave by road on 30 April  to save on travel costs. 

“Flight tickets were too expensive — around ₹6,000 just one way,” he said. His exam centre was at the Jamia campus itself, and everything was ready until tragedy struck in Pahalgam.

The violence that followed sent shockwaves through the Kashmiri student community. As videos of attacks emerged and students began returning home, fear gripped the Valley. 

Salahuddin’s parents, alarmed by the news, refused to let him travel. 

“My father told me I can take the exam next year, but I won’t get another life,” he said.

Salahuddin briefly explored flying to Delhi, but the high cost and lack of safe accommodation discouraged him. 

“I couldn’t risk staying in a hotel alone, also the fares were very high. I had dreamt of studying at Jamia. Now it feels like that dream has slipped away,” he said. “After seeing the paper, I’m sure I would’ve ranked in the top ten.”

Despite calling Jamia authorities for help, Salahuddin said he received no support. 

We emailed Jamia Millia Islamia on 12 June 2025 regarding this issue but have not received a response yet. We will update the story as soon as we hear back from them.

While entrance exams scheduled for May 10 and 11 were postponed, those before May 10 were not—leaving many students like Salahuddin unable to appear for their tests.

Exorbitant airfare has long been a barrier for students in Kashmir. 

With NH-44, the region’s only major road link to the rest of India, frequently closed due to landslides and weather disruptions, air travel becomes the only dependable option — especially during exams and college admissions.

Tahir Ahmed, a travel agent in Srinagar, said he received numerous booking requests from students after the Pahalgam incident. “But when the return fare touched ₹12,000, most students dropped the plan,” he said.

‘I Can’t Go Through The Same Cycle Again’

Aadil Ahmed Yatoo, who completed his post graduation in mathematics from Aligarh Muslim University in 2023, had cleared the GATE exam the same year— a major milestone for those eyeing PhD programs in prestigious IITs. 

Since GATE scores remain valid for two years, Yatoo applied with confidence and was thrilled when he received an interview call from IIT Delhi, his dream institution, scheduled for 13 May.

“I had worked for this moment for over a year. My flight was booked, and I was mentally prepared,” Yatoo said. But just days before the interview, on 7 May, tensions between India and Pakistan escalated, leading to airspace closures that disrupted travel across the region.

Yatoo immediately contacted IIT Delhi’s mathematics department, requesting an online interview due to the hostile situation and travel barriers. Though he was assured they would look into it, no follow-up communication ever came. 

His opportunity slipped away without a fair chance.

“That dream just stayed a dream,” Yatoo said, his voice heavy with disappointment. 

We emailed IIT Delhi on 20 May but have not received a response yet. We will update the story as soon as we hear back from them.

Now, Yatoo faces the possibility of retaking the GATE or attempting the NET exam all over again to remain eligible for IIT PhD admissions. But the thought wears him down. 

Yatoo shared that he’s mentally and emotionally exhausted.

“I can’t go through the same cycle again,” he said. “I had already qualified. It feels unfair that my entire two years of effort were wasted.” 

Instead, Yatoo has now started looking for PhD positions abroad — in countries like Turkey and Malaysia. 

IIT Delhi, Yatoo added, was not only a dream but also geographically closer to home. “I wish things had gone differently,” he said, catching his breath. “I’m devastated.”

‘Life Doesn’t Come Twice’

Afreen Shakeel, an M.Tech student in mechanical engineering at the National Institute of Technology, Srinagar, originally from Baramulla, a town 55 kms towards north of Srinagar, had long aspired to pursue a PhD at IIT Kanpur. 

Shakeel was scheduled to take a written test in Kanpur on 9 May, followed by an interview on 10 May. 

However, Shakeel ultimately withdrew from the process after her parents, alarmed by the rising hostility towards Kashmiri students, advised her against traveling.

With the Srinagar airport closing after the fighting between India and Pakistan escalated on 7 May, road travel was the only option. This was a daunting prospect for a Kashmiri woman heading to Uttar Pradesh. 

“My parents told me, ‘You can try next year, but life doesn’t come twice.’ I understood their concern, and to be honest, I was scared too,” she said.

Afreen now plans to reapply next year but will only consider institutions in southern India, such as IIT Hyderabad. “They’re far from home, but at least we feel safer there,” she said. 

Umer Jamal, the national president of the Jammu and Kashmir Students Association (JKSA), said while they received a flood of distress calls from students in northern states, there were very few from the south. 

“Students in southern states reported little to no hostility, which is why more Kashmiri students now prefer those regions — they feel significantly safer there,” said Jamal.

Wajahat Mushtaq, a physics graduate from the Central University of Kashmir, had planned to appear for an exam at IIT Bhubaneswar but withdrew after videos of attacks on Kashmiri students began circulating widely. 

“I’ve decided to take a gap year and try again next year, but I won’t apply to any institutions in northern India,” said Mushtaq. Instead, he plans to focus on institutions located in southern states like Karnataka and Telangana. 

“I’ll target places like IISc Bangalore and IIT Hyderabad,” said Mushtaq. “Northern states have become increasingly unsafe for Kashmiri students.”

(Mohammad Aatif Ammad Kanth is a Kashmiri born, Delhi-based journalist who writes on financial, economic, and environmental issues.)

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