polity hard Fill in the Blank

In SR Bommai v. Union of India (1994), the Supreme Court emphasized that Governor's report recommending President's Rule must comply with constitutional safeguards like objective material, floor test, and ______ review, ensuring Article 356 used for genuine constitutional breakdown.

  1. political
  2. judicial
  3. administrative
  4. executive

Answer: judicial

Constitutional safeguards under SR Bommai: (a) Context: Challenge to President's Rule imposition without constitutional safeguards in multiple States, (b) Supreme Court holding: (i) Governor's report must comply with constitutional safeguards: Objective material, floor test, judicial review, (ii) Constitutional safeguards ensure: Democratic verification, objective material, constitutional principles compliance, not political considerations, (iii) Judicial review: Courts examine whether safeguards complied with, not just substantive outcome, (c) Applications: (i) Post-1994: Courts more willing to strike down Article 356 proclamations without constitutional safeguards, (ii) Federal balance: Protects State autonomy against arbitrary Centre overreach via constitutional safeguards, (d) Rationale: (i) Democratic legitimacy: Constitutional safeguards ensure Article 356 reflects genuine constitutional breakdown, not political convenience, (ii) Constitutional morality: Governor as constitutional functionary, not political agent, (iii) Judicial oversight: Courts ensure Article 356 used for genuine constitutional breakdown, not political ends, (e) Illustrates constitutional federalism: Constitutional safeguards requirement protects State autonomy; judicial review ensures Article 356 used for genuine crises, not political convenience.

Topic Article 356 - Governor's Report and Constitutional Safeguards
Exam Relevance Constitutional safeguards under Article 356 critical for UPSC Mains and Judiciary exams