International tensions rise over RSS isolation and Afghan student deportations

A US foreign policy scholar has warned that efforts by political leaders and advocacy groups in the US, Canada, and the UK to isolate the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) could harm US interests and weaken US-India relations. Bill Drexel, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, argued that attempts to marginalize the organization are unlikely to weaken it given its massive scale and influence in India.

Separately, Human Rights Watch (HRW) has called on the Pakistani government to reverse its decision to expel Afghan medical and dental students. The directive requires medical institutions to deport Afghan students, a move HRW claims disproportionately affects women who face bans on higher education under the Taliban in Afghanistan. HRW noted that institutions like King Edward Medical University in Lahore have already ordered students to complete departure formalities, potentially affecting approximately 100 students in Lahore alone.