Kaushik Raj, a 27-year-old journalist from Delhi, India, was denied a US student visa despite being awarded a $100,000 (approximately ₹89 lakh) scholarship to pursue a Master’s degree in Data Journalism at Columbia University. Raj was set to begin his course in mid-August but was stopped short after the visa rejection, which he believes was linked to his social media activity.

Social Media Vetting Under Scrutiny

Raj had completed all formalities, including the interview, when he was asked to submit his social media handles, a step mandated under a Trump-era policy that remains active. While the rejection letter cited insufficient ties to India, Raj suspects that the decision was influenced by his online presence, which included posts related to hate crimes and India’s treatment of minori

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