The Supreme Court recently struck down the controversial section 66A of the Information Technology Act on grounds of “vagueness and chilling effect on free speech”. The infamous section had been the centre of debate in many cases where the government and police authorities misused it to punish innocent advocates of free speech putting them through strenuous times.

The latest verdict in the Shreya Singhal vs Union of India case promises to pump new life into the nation’s legal system which entails that every individual shall have the “liberty of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship” in the Preamble to the Constitution. The instances of an Uttar Pradesh teenager getting booked for posting “objectionable” comments on Azam Khan and two Mumbai girls being arrested for expressing disapproval over the bandh after the death of Bal Thackeray have proved in the past how the ambiguous and ill-drafted law invaded the right to free speech.

Freedom of speech and expression is one of the basic pillars of any democracy which imparts the citizenry the right to critique but with some reasonable restrictions in the interests of sovereignty, integrity and security of the country, besides justified morality like the respect of all genders. These restrictions empower the state to book citizens for their statements or impose censorship citing Article 19(2) of the Constitution which allows certain restrictions on the freedom of speech and expression. These restrictions can be imposed under various Acts and Sections of the IPC. The ban on screening of the much hyped erotic drama- Fifty Shades of Grey, the AIB roast video that had to be taken down from the internet and the censorship over the screening of BBC’s documentary- India’s Daughter, are all instances of violation of the freedom of speech and expression.

Section 66A failed to pass the test of Article 19(2) and hence, came the Supreme Court’s judgement, at a very crucial time in India when censorship laws have become an instrument of abuse. The verdict is a wake-up call for all political elites in India and secures the atmosphere for freedom of discussion and debate on the internet.

Arushi Srivastava

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“Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both…”

I hardly ever read these lines more deferentially before I found myself in a similar situation to Frost’s that made him compose this verse. Some wise man once said that life is all about the choices we make. But how do we make the choices when you’ve got so many? Choices that are all equally tempting but you don’t know which one to embrace!

Job or Higher Studies? Passion or Profession? If you’ve been caught off guard by any of these questions, coming either from family or a friend when you’re nearing the graduation day, you’re not alone. There are many of us sailing in the same boat with different compasses, each pointing towards different directions.

Looking back at the past 3 years, at the phenomenal journey, I wonder about the impending destination. Is the goal which I strived for three years ago what I really want or do I need to rotate the wheel of the ship to pursue what I want to achieve now? The reality is, I never accounted for the changes and evolution that I underwent through graduation and how college has carved out a different personality from the person I was in school.

The chaos creeps into my mind whenever I hear somebody applying for some entrance exam or grooming themselves for job interviews. I still wonder if getting a job that pays well is more important than an unpaid internship that helps me pursue my passion.  This is where the picture of ‘life after graduation’ becomes messier, with the expectations of what society expects from you and what you expect from yourself fighting against each other justifying their own rationale in shaping your future.

I know the plethora of questions cannot be escaped easily since after graduation we’re under the scanner of society waiting to make you realise that you need to be responsible and decisive to lead a respectable adult life. Graduating is a part of growing up and so is the task of making a choice. Sacrificing some things to gain something else has always been the bitter truth.

I know I need to choose the road soon for my future, but standing where I am right now is something I’ll cherish forever. This is where I take a decision that may or may not have some impact on my life after 20-30 years.  Whether it’s going to be the road less travelled by or the beaten path will be decided by each of us. The thing is, just some want to enjoy the destination while some want to enjoy the journey!

2 weeks from now, every Delhi University student will get caught in the trauma that strikes twice every year. After bunking the classes the entire semester and doing everything in college except studying, we sit down one week before the deadly dates on the calendar with newly brought books that smell as fresh as a daisy and Solved Ten Year Question Papers that work as a Bible for each of us the night before the exam.

While the third year and second year students are very familiar with the mantra ‘to pass Delhi University exams by studying for a week’, the freshers are both confused and nervous about the first semester exams.

Well the mantra to pass still remains the same for freshers too- get your books, go offline, drink up on caffeine, pull up all-nighters(only if you’re comfortable, otherwise you may screw up the paper) and have faith in some invisible power that only whatever you’re studying will be asked in the exam.

The two weeks of penance are coupled with anxiety, crazy strategies which we all develop suiting our own convenience, the constant urge not to watch the latest movie or complete the TV series that you can’t stop thinking of and sacrificing the dear sleep. While there are always people who go all competitive, scare you with “Kitna padha?” every hour on Whatsapp and jolt you the day of exam by bombarding terms and phrases which you are totally oblivious of, even after reading the entire book, it’s advisable to stay away from them and give the exam without any negative thoughts.

Since the quantity and quality of studies is an entirely subjective notion differing from each other, one should never try ideas put into their head by others especially during exams. We all have our own reasons, plans and approaches for studying at the last minute for the exams. But each semester exam of Delhi University reminds you the purpose of being at the most prestigious university of India-academics!

Even before we have completely prepared our minds to renounce the worldly things and follow the path of studies (for a few weeks and then back to be the social butterfly), the plans for post-exam parties are always ready.

 If you’re still struggling to sit down surrounded by books for some weeks and abandon the outside world, think of all great things that post-exam break has got you to offer to make you cut some slack on yourself of exam pressure!

I would like to leave you all with my mantra for exam season to chant after you’ve studied by none other than the great Shakespeare-“This Too Shall Pass”! Believe me! It has been working for the past four semesters! Here’s wishing all DU-ites an amazing exam season with books and notes!

A journey of any outstation student at Delhi University is quite similar to the metamorphosis of a butterfly from a caterpillar, developing wings and getting all set to fly high in this big and often bad world. My journey into this ‘Walled City’ began two years ago with a dream to study in the most prestigious university of the country and thus I set on the trajectory to climb the walls of my ambitions by getting admission here. My initial days in Delhi taught me how to fly and explore the multitude opportunities that were yet to unfold upon me and here I am now, a proud and seasoned butterfly studying at Delhi University!

Living away from family, fending for daily provisions and adapting into a totally new atmosphere ,entwined with several hitches, encountered time to time at your college, PG or a hostel makes life of an outstation student here a one-of-a kind story to narrate. Whether it’s an awful meal that you have to force down your throat or a terrible remembrance of mom when you’re sick, life offers a new lesson at every stage when you’re living away from home.

The welcoming conduct of many Delhiites often takes you by surprise while you still go back to memories of school and home but by the time we understand that to live away from home is one sacrifice that we have to endure for a better future, we inculcate the signature ‘Delhiwalla’ traits in our souls. After all, being in DU, studying with people from different background and cultures is an experience in itself.

Though there is no substitute for the place where your roots are which you proudly call ‘home’, living away from parents is a chance to choose your own family, the ones you hope will keep you company on a sick day or a home sick night. To be an outstation student at Delhi University might make you jealous of Delhiites comfortably living with parents and family at first, but you never know how they might be missing the independence and the multitude learnings that you derive by living away from home.

So my message for all outstation students who are embarking on a journey at DU this year-It’s time to break the cocoon, flutter your wings and fly away towards your dreams like a butterfly!

PG, the fancy abbreviation for the word paying guest, rather I’d say it isn’t merely a word for a large segment of the Delhi University crowd. Being a paying guest in this mega city for job, college or CA/ IAS/ PMT coaching, it has become more of a fashion now, a lifestyle.  The lifestyle which is a perfect blend of self reliance, great independence, little adventure and loads of fun however, not to forget the risks of being at your own in times like today in the city that is famous for more than few bad reasons.

For tons of youngsters who come to Delhi each year with a dream in their eyes to study at the most prestigious university of the nation, a real challenge is to find a good accommodation. Those students who are not very lucky to get a hostel or do not have any other place to stay, the option of living as a paying guest comes handy.

With the boom of career and educational opportunities in Delhi there is also an emergence of paying guest facilities in almost every street and locality of the city. These places serve as a new home to many dreamers who flock across the city. Living as a paying guest under a good landlord and with some good roommates helps all the newbies in to swim along with the tides in Delhi. Initial adjustments on living as a paying guest away from home and family is a new experience for many as it’s totally a new phase of life where we enter. It’s a place where new friends and their silly tantrums replace fights and tussles with siblings, where you realise the true value of mom’s incessant screaming over to have a cup of milk or persistent calling by her to clean our wardrobes.

It’s a place where we learn to cater for our needs in our own way. Obviously the care and comfort of home is irreplaceable but we definitely learn how to make ourselves home in the new surroundings with new people. To be on our own is a hard task in the beginning especially when you need your mom to iron your clothes or your dad to give a ride to college every day. Residing as a P.G is a fun filled task when you find pleasure to wake up late without the elders coming to check up upon you at midnight or to watch your favourite television show with nobody to fight for the TV remote.

Staying as a paying guest has many pros when you compare life in a hostel or private rentals. It provides you freedom and independence from the cruel eyes and strictness of hostel wardens and gives the advantage of many basic facilities like food, laundry, refrigerator, television etc. by landlords and maids which one finds hard to cater on our own. Another advantage is that you get much needed social security in a new city when your parents are always worried about your well-being back home and get an opportunity to share your expenses with others which often isn’t available when we stay alone. Though there are pleasures of it, there are often times when we face struggles with roommates who are always not your type or to face an irresponsible landlord who doesn’t care much for its so called ‘guests’. However to live as a paying guest in Delhi when you’re studying or working is a great option for many people who come here. It’s a place where we learn to cross the rivers on our own.

Although mom’s lovely handmade ‘dal-chawal’ is missed yet there is a delight to share the Dominos pizza with your friends to celebrate an occasion. Sharing the stories of college with your brother or sister is truly missed but we always get to find one true pal to narrate all the crazy things that happen in college. Dad is missed when you need some advice in some serious matters or need some more pocket money to buy a new watch which you just checked out on the store but the blessing in disguise is we learn how to deal with the important things and save money to buy the next thing on our bucket-list.

Of course, with the perks offered, there are endless problems such as the inflated charges, bad quality food and accommodation, non co-operative roommates,safety concerns and what not. However, PGs continue to be the most preferred way out by the youth as it provides the right exposure at the right age to make you self dependent. It teaches you prioritizing, concentrating despite of distractions, understanding people, managing routine activities. It gives the learning curve a new direction.

So to all the new and old students living as PGs in Delhi, here’s wishing you all the very best, keep in line with your goal, work for it, keep safe and enjoy the wonderful three years to come!