Access to the internet is now a basic right

The right to have access to the internet is part of the fundamental right to education as well as the right to privacy under Article 21 of the Constitution. This ruling was given by the Kerala High Court in a case where a student was expelled from the college hostel for using her mobile phone beyond the permitted time.

As per the rules of the girls hostel, they were prohibited from using mobile phones from 6p.m. to 10 p.m. Many students protested against this restriction as it was hampering their learning process. A student was expelled from the college hostel for breaching this restriction. She filed a petition before the court challenging her expulsion. The court  observed that the Human Rights Council of the United Nations had held that right to access the internet was a fundamental right as it was a tool  to ensure the right to education..It therefore made the  above observations and directed the college authorities to re-admit the expelled student.