Kaushik Raj, a 27-year-old Indian journalist and student, was denied a US student visa despite receiving a prestigious $100,000 (approximately Rs 89 lakh) scholarship to study journalism at Columbia University. He now alleges that his visa was likely rejected due to the US administration’s scrutiny of his social media activity, particularly his reporting on sensitive issues.

Raj had secured admission to Columbia’s Master’s programme in Data Journalism, with the course set to begin in mid-August. He had completed all formalities for the visa, except the final stage: submitting his social media handles, a requirement introduced under a Trump-era policy and still in effect.

“I wasn’t very active online," Raj told The Washington Post . “I never posted personal opinions on global issues lik

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