Emerging Trends in Right to Freedom of Speech and Expression in India

Freedom of speech and expression is the life line of democracy. It has been recognized as a fundamental right under the Indian Constitution. This freedom is available to Indian citizens only and casts a restriction on the state not to unnecessarily meddle with this vital freedom, except the imposition of reasonable restrictions mentioned under the Constitution. The judiciary in India, particularly the apex court, has interpreted this freedom giving it a wider connotation by covering various facets of this basic freedom. The objective of the present paper is, therefore, to analyze the various interpretations of freedom of speech and expression given by the highest court. An attempt has also been made to examine the expansionist approach of the Supreme Court towards this freedom, during previous decades, commencing since the adoption of Indian Constitution, by studying important case laws. The present study is doctrinal in nature and is based on secondary data gathered from various sources such as books, journals, reports etc.