The dread of an uncertain future married with youthful rebellion, if brewed well, can be a potent combination. Rahul Rajkhowa, a second-year Master's student at Jawahar Lal Nehru University (JNU) has attempted a similar fete with his latest rap number against varsity Vice-Chancellor (V-C) Mamidala Jagadesh Kumar and his "arbitrariness".

The 2 minute, 55 second-song tells the story of thousands of students staring at an uncertain future after the university decided to cut down the number of M Phil and Ph D seats by a shocking 98 per cent. Uploaded on Rajkhowa's YouTube channel by the same name, the composition has been viewed over 1,600 times since it was first put up two days ago.

The 21-year-old student, who is pursuing his Master's in International Relations, said he was "angry and hurt" by the way JNU took this radical decision. "Well, I try to rap about what's relevant. When I'm going through a lot, this is how I vent," he said.

"When the rumours started doing the rounds last year, we were hoping that they were just that - grapevine. Now, it is there for everyone to see. We don't know what to do after completing post-graduation. There are so many students who come to JNU with the hope of getting affordable, quality education. We are stranded now," rued the former DU student. The angst resonates in his lyrics: "Can't go back home to my bed. I got parents to answer to, society to answer to."

Making his displeasure with V-C Kumar abundantly clear, Rajkhowa clarifies that it was not hatred, but more. Sample this: "Back to my beloved V-C, hate is a strong word, but I really don't like you man. So, I'll lay down just one word for you. You're incompetent."

He also said that he was at sea, like so many of his other batchmates, about what to do next. He further criticised the university on other issues such as disappearance of Najeeb Jung. Calling the varsity head a "paranoid fascist", he rapped: "Hell, you can't even find the boy that went missing on your watch. Everybody knew the boys who beat him up were from the Orange Party. They still walking scot-free. But how do you catch the guilty."

When queried what prompted him to compose the rap, he said: "I wanted the entire country to know what we were going through and how our future had plunged into darkness because of some man's whimsical stance. I am really hoping that they will be unified with us through this," he said.