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Answer: Criminal antecedents, assets, liabilities, educational qualification
ADR Case (2002): SC directed ECI to require candidates to disclose: (a) Criminal cases pending, (b) Assets/liabilities of candidate and spouse, (c) Educational qualification. Rationale: Voters' right to know (implicit in Article 19(1)(a)) essential for informed choice in democracy. Led to ECI forms requiring these disclosures; foundation for electoral transparency reforms.
Answer: passive euthanasia
Common Cause (2018): 5-judge bench held: (a) Right to die with dignity is part of Article 21, (b) Passive euthanasia (withdrawing life support) permissible for terminally ill patients in persistent vegetative state, (c) Living will (advance medical directive) valid subject to strict safeguards: medical board certification, judicial oversight, etc. Active euthanasia/assisted suicide remains illegal. Balances autonomy with sanctity of life.
Answer: True
Navtej Singh Johar (2018): 5-judge bench unanimously struck down Section 377 IPC to extent it criminalized consensual same-sex relations between adults. Held: (a) Violates Article 14 (arbitrary classification), Article 15 (discrimination based on sexual orientation), Article 19 (expression of identity), Article 21 (privacy, dignity, autonomy), (b) Sexual orientation intrinsic to personality; discrimination unconstitutional. Landmark LGBTQ+ rights judgment.
Answer: Article 19(1)(a) (Freedom of Speech)
Pre-RTI Act cases: (a) Bennett Coleman v. Union of India (1972): Right to information implicit in Article 19(1)(a), (b) Indian Express v. Union of India (1985): Right to know essential for democracy, (c) Dinesh Trivedi v. Union of India (1997): Citizens' right to know about government functioning. RTI Act, 2005 statutory recognition; Supreme Court in 2024 (Electoral Bonds case) reaffirmed right to information as part of Article 19(1)(a).
Answer: Secularism
SR Bommai (1994): Besides federalism, SC held secularism is part of basic structure. Secularism means: (a) State has no religion, (b) Equal respect for all religions, (c) No discrimination based on religion, (d) Religion and politics separated. State action promoting one religion violates secularism; can be ground for judicial review of Presidential proclamation under Article 356. Foundation of Indian secularism jurisprudence.
Answer: True
Olga Tellis (Pavement Dwellers Case, 1985): SC held: (a) Right to livelihood is integral to right to life under Article 21 (no person can live without means of living), (b) Eviction of pavement dwellers without alternative arrangement violates Article 21, (c) However, State can evict for public purpose with due procedure and rehabilitation. Expanded scope of Article 21 beyond physical existence to dignified life.
Answer: Creamy layer
Indra Sawhney (Mandal Case, 1992): 9-judge bench upheld 27% reservation for OBCs but: (a) Excluded 'creamy layer' (advanced sections) within OBCs, (b) Capped total reservation at 50% (with exceptions), (c) Held reservation not applicable to promotions (later amended by 77th/85th Amendments). Landmark judgment balancing social justice with merit; foundation of OBC reservation jurisprudence.
Answer: absolute
M.C. Mehta (Oleum Gas Leak, 1987): SC evolved 'absolute liability' principle: enterprises engaged in hazardous/inherently dangerous activities are absolutely liable for harm caused, without exceptions available under strict liability (Rylands v. Fletcher). No defense of act of God, third party, etc. Foundation for environmental jurisprudence; led to compensation for Bhopal victims, pollution control measures.
Answer: True
Unnikrishnan (1993): SC held right to education up to age 14 is fundamental right implicit in Article 21 (life with dignity). Directed State to provide free education within economic capacity. Led to 86th Amendment (2002) inserting Article 21A making education for 6-14 years a Fundamental Right, operationalized by RTE Act, 2009. Illustrates judicial legislation prompting constitutional amendment.
Answer: Judicial independence
NJAC Judgment (2015): 4:1 majority struck down 99th Amendment and NJAC Act. Held: (a) Collegium system (judges appointing judges) is part of basic structure, (b) Executive participation in appointments threatens judicial independence, (c) Primacy of judiciary in appointments essential for separation of powers. Controversial judgment; debate on judicial appointments reform continues.
Answer: locus standi
S.P. Gupta (First Judges Case, 1981): SC relaxed locus standi (personal injury requirement), allowing any citizen/public-spirited organization to file petition for enforcement of rights of persons unable to approach court due to poverty, ignorance, or social disadvantage. Transformed judicial role from dispute resolution to social justice delivery; foundation of PIL jurisprudence in India.
Answer: True
Hussainara Khatoon (1979): SC held right to speedy trial is implicit in Article 21 (life and personal liberty). Case involved undertrial prisoners detained for periods longer than maximum sentence for alleged offences. Led to release of thousands of undertrials; established procedural due process as part of Article 21. Foundation for subsequent PILs on prison reforms, legal aid, human rights.
Answer: Federalism
SR Bommai (1994): 9-judge bench held: (a) Federalism is part of basic structure, (b) Presidential satisfaction under Article 356 subject to judicial review, (c) Floor test is primary method to test majority, (d) State Assembly dissolution not automatic; can be revived if proclamation invalidated. Curbed arbitrary use of Article 356; landmark judgment protecting State autonomy within federal framework.
Answer: Fundamental Rights, Directive Principles
Minerva Mills (1980): SC struck down parts of 42nd Amendment that gave primacy to DPSP over FRs and excluded judicial review of amendments. Held: (a) Balance between FRs (Part III) and DPSP (Part IV) is basic structure, (b) Judicial review is part of basic structure, (c) Limited amending power is basic structure. Reinforced Kesavananda doctrine; cornerstone of constitutional jurisprudence.
Answer: True
Puttaswamy case (2017): 9-judge bench unanimously held right to privacy is intrinsic to life and liberty under Article 21; also part of freedoms under Article 19 and equality under Article 14. Overruled M.P. Sharma (1954) and Kharak Singh (1962) which held privacy not a fundamental right. Foundation for subsequent judgments on Aadhaar, decriminalization of homosexuality, reproductive rights.
Answer: Kesavananda Bharati v. State of Kerala (1973)
Kesavananda Bharati (1973): 13-judge bench held Parliament can amend any part of Constitution but cannot alter its 'basic structure'. Basic features include: supremacy of Constitution, republican/democratic form, secularism, federalism, separation of powers, judicial review, rule of law, individual dignity. Landmark judgment balancing parliamentary sovereignty with constitutional supremacy; foundation of Indian constitutionalism.
Answer: Seal of the Union
Article 155 states: 'The Governor of a State shall be appointed by the President by warrant under his hand and seal.' The 'seal' refers to the Seal of the Union (not State), emphasizing that the Governor is a Union appointee representing the Centre in the State. This reflects the federal balance in India's quasi-federal structure.
Answer: Comptroller and Auditor General, 22
The Committee on Public Undertakings (CPU) has 22 members (15 LS + 7 RS) and examines reports of the CAG on public sector undertakings. It assesses efficiency, financial performance, and autonomy of PSUs. Like PAC, its Chairman is traditionally from the Opposition, ensuring non-partisan scrutiny of government enterprises.
Answer: True
In Justice K.S. Puttaswamy (Retd.) v. Union of India (2017), a nine-judge bench unanimously held that Right to Privacy is: (1) An intrinsic part of Article 21 (life and personal liberty), (2) Part of freedoms under Part III (e.g., Article 19), (3) A natural right inherent in human dignity. This judgment has profound implications for data protection, surveillance, and personal autonomy.
Answer: Right to Education
The 86th Amendment Act, 2002: (1) Added Article 21A making education a Fundamental Right for children 6-14 years, (2) Added Directive Principle Article 45 for early childhood care, (3) Added Fundamental Duty Article 51A(k) for parents to provide education opportunities. This amendment operationalized the constitutional commitment to universal elementary education.