Today, On 14th November, The Delhi High Court has issued a notice to the MEA and MHA on Professor Ashok Swain’s plea challenging his blacklisting from entering India. The Sweden-based academic argues that the government’s decision violates legal principles and constitutional protections.
The Delhi High Court issued a notice to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Friday regarding a plea from Professor Ashok Swain, an Indian-origin academic based in Sweden. He is contesting the government’s decision to blacklist him from entering India.
Justice Sachin Datta also acknowledged Swain’s request for interim relief, with the case set for the next hearing on December 18.
Professor Swain, a prominent figure in peace and conflict research at Uppsala University, holds an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card.
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The government had previously revoked his OCI card, but this cancellation was overturned twice by the High Court. In those proceedings, the government indicated that Swain’s OCI card had been nullified due to “anti-India activities” and “spreading detrimental propaganda.”
In his current plea, Swain asserts that the government has failed to reveal the details of the blacklisting order, including its content and legal justification.
He contends that,
“The order was neither communicated to him nor subjected to the touchstone of procedural safeguards mandated under Section 7D of the Citizenship Act, 1955, Principles of Natural Justice and Constitutional Protections.”
The court was informed that after the High Court annulled the cancellation of Swain’s OCI card on March 28, 2025, the government took no further action on the matter.
The plea states,
“The petitioner is a globally renowned scholar, whose academic and critical writings are cited as the sole basis for the Purported Blacklisting. The impugned action is punitive against lawful, constructive criticism, a constitutionally protected activity for all persons, and especially deserving of protection for scholars.”
Swain argues that, as an OCI card holder of Indian origin, he is entitled to protections under Article 12(4) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which prohibits arbitrary deprivation of the right to return to one’s own country.
Advocate Aadil Singh Boparai represented Swain, with assistance from advocates Prakruthi Jain and Abhishek Dubey.
Ashok Swain is an Indian-origin academic, currently serving as a Professor of Peace and Conflict Research at Uppsala University, Sweden. He is known for his work on water conflicts, international relations, and South Asian geopolitics.
Swain’s Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) card was revoked by the Indian government, citing alleged violations of law. However, the Delhi High Court has twice quashed the revocation.