Delhi South Asian University stops scholarships for Afghan students over funding default
The South Asian University (SAU) in New Delhi has discontinued scholarships for Afghan students following objections from Bhutan over Afghanistan's failure to pay its financial contributions to the institution. The university has been unable to resolve the funding issue diplomatically because the Indian government does not officially recognise the Taliban administration in Afghanistan.
According to university records, Afghanistan has not made any financial contributions to the SAARC-run university since 2021. The country's last recorded payment of US$307,000 was received in 2020.
SAU President K K Aggarwal stated that Bhutan raised objections regarding the unfairness of the situation to member countries that pay their shares regularly. "We have to be equal to all representing countries, hence we had to stop the scholarships," Aggarwal said.
The lack of official recognition of the Taliban government by India has left the university without an official channel of communication to address the funding default. Aggarwal noted that there has been no communication from the new dispensation in Afghanistan since the Taliban took office.
While scholarships have been halted, the university expressed willingness to offer online education to Afghan students, particularly women who face restrictions on education and visa challenges under the current regime. Aggarwal added that the scholarships could be restored if another member country or agency agrees to bear Afghanistan's financial share. He also requested the Ministry of Education to consider extending Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) supported scholarships to Afghan students at SAU.
Funding records from 2021 to June 30, 2026, show India remains the university's largest contributor, providing US$65.91 million. This was followed by Bangladesh at US$2.99 million, Maldives at US$1.82 million, Bhutan at US$1.35 million, Nepal at US$1.26 million, and Pakistan at US$136,810. Sri Lanka has also not contributed since 2021, though Aggarwal clarified this is considered a delayed payment rather than a refusal to contribute.
The university's seat allocation is linked to the funding framework, with 4% of seats reserved for Afghan students. During the 2024-25 academic session, SAU had 10 students from Afghanistan. For the 2026 admissions cycle, the university received dozens of applications from Afghanistan, but ultimately no Afghan students joined the incoming batch.
