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Devika Goswami

A student of Economics and Media Studies with a passion for books, writing, and editing. I love helping writers ideate, brainstorm, and fully realize the potential of their work. I find the process of taking the first draft to its final stage—shaving off the excess to sharpen the idea and voice behind the piece—in itself rewarding. 

Below you'll find work that I have written or edited (which can be filtered with the tag 'Editor'). I'm currently the Editor in Chief at the Edict, Ashoka University's student-run newspaper, where I first joined as a staff writer and editor for the Opinions column. This portfolio also consists of my work for OpenAxis, the publication affiliated with a Media Studies course called 'The Ashoka Conversation' mentored by Prof. Arunava Sinha and Prof. Maya Mirchandani.

Edict •

Saying no to Nostalgia— Ashokans need to move on

The other day, my grandmother launched into a passionate tirade against our generation for losing all respect for “Indian culture”. For contrast, she spoke of the times when she was my age, devoted to family values and culture. She marveled about how grandchildren touched their grandparents’ feet, how children made tea for their parents, and so on. The rather long, painfully boring lecture was concluded with a quick explanation of why she supports BJP— they have promised to bring back those time
Edict •

Tap with Strength – Mental Health and Online Activism

While the pandemic has affected the social, economic and environmental spheres across the world, it has also decapitated the avenues of activism. However, activists quickly turned to social media platforms to voice their protest, refusing to relent in the face of adversity.


An article published in The Atlantic mentions how “Online movements can burn out faster than campaigns that spend months or even years forging in-person connections.” Many assumed that this shift would also cause movement
Edict •

The Promise of Satire: LIBERandU and Why It Worked

The mic is picked up at the far-end of the table, and everyone knows this will take a while. The same passionate oration strewn in with incomprehensibly abstract plans. Wait, the mic is being passed down. Hushed murmurs are quickly subsiding. Some are already chuckling in anticipation. Phones are rushed away mid-text. And–


An uproar of laughter. Some clapping and cheering. The dull room that can be Takshila at 10 pm lights up. We momentarily forget that we’re engaging even as most of us are j
Edict •

Mapping a Safer Ashoka – A Hidden Culture of Harassment

This is part 2 of a series analysing issues around sexual harassment on campus

Content warning – The following article contains mentions of sexual harassment


A significant part of Ashoka’s struggle with sexual harassment comes from a pervasive culture that enables it. Granted we are not on campus right now, and most likely won’t be for a while, but that shouldn’t put a stop to this conversation. We explored the pitfalls of CASH in the first part of this series, and while the redressal body p
OpenAxis •

The World ‘Wild’ Web and Why It Is No Place for A Woman With An Opinion

The 2019 election of the five women ministers in Finland set a historic feat for equality in political leadership. However, a recent report found that these women were facing coordinated online “misogynistic abuse attacking their values demeaning their decision-making skills, and questioning their leadership abilities.”

This is not the first case of the deep-rooted trend of violence and hate against women spilling over into online spaces. Women who use social media as a part of their jobs, such
OpenAxis •

Riding the Elephant: A Memoir of Altercations, Humiliations, Hallucinations, and Observations

This book written by comedian, actor and former host of The Late Late Show Craig Ferguson features some of his most witty and thoughtful writing till date—narrated in a Scottish accent no less. If you’re a huge fan of his hilarious yet poignant late night show stint, with his trusty skeleton robot sidekick Geoff, then this book is the natural next step. If you’re unaware of The Late Late Show then do yourself a favour and jump down your nearest Youtube rabbit-hole of old interview clips from the
Edict •

What Ashoka Unexpectedly did for my Mental Health

There could be a hundred different nostalgia pieces about Ashoka at this point, and I don’t know if all of them (even this one) put together could capture how it unexpectedly helped with my mental health. It’s not just how engaging it can be academically, where online classes have now instead left a gaping intellectual vacuum for most of its student body. It’s the freedom, and not in a CADI-defying Thursday night way, but in the way of a space of expression and, if I may be so bold to admit and
OpenAxis •

Issue X: Editors’ Note

In the past year, a major breakthrough in Science has been the Covid-19 vaccine but as the pandemic continues to take centre-stage in our lives—we wish to use this issue as an opportunity to highlight other important developments in Science and Technology. As footage from NASA’s Perseverance Rover driving on Mars’ terrain first came in, we saw the new possibilities that space exploration holds—Kartik Tiwari, a student of Physics and Philosophy, captures this sense of wonder and takes on the clai
OpenAxis •

From the Screen to your Couch: Here’s to Binging with Babish

There’s just something about food in movies, TV shows and anime: it looks unachievable-y better. Yes, it’s the colour-grading, the impeccable cinematography and the breathtaking animation but I would go as far as to say: it’s also the story and what it means to you. I feel an odd attachment to Ratatouille that has little to do with the dish and everything to do with the movie. So, the Youtube algorithm inevitably caught on and presented me with Binging with Babish— a channel where cinematic food