GK Question

polity hard true_false

During a National Emergency under Article 352, Parliament can amend the Constitution under Article 368, but such amendments cannot destroy the basic structure of the Constitution, per Kesavananda Bharati (1973).

  1. True
  2. False

Answer: True

Constitutional amendments during Emergency: (a) Constitutional principle: Parliament can amend Constitution under Article 368 even during Emergency, but basic structure doctrine (Kesavananda Bharati, 1973) limits amendment power, (b) Basic structure limitation: (i) Even during Emergency, amendments cannot destroy basic structure features (democracy, secularism, federalism, judicial review, rule of law, dignity), (ii) Judicial review: Courts can examine whether amendments comply with basic structure, not just procedural compliance, (c) Applications: (i) Post-1973: Courts more willing to strike down amendments violating basic structure, even during Emergency, (ii) Rights protection: Ensures core constitutional features preserved even during crisis, (d) Rationale: (i) Constitutional supremacy: Basic structure preserves constitutional identity against arbitrary power, even during crisis, (ii) Rights protection: Core features essential for rights protection, democratic governance, even during Emergency, (iii) Democratic legitimacy: Ensures Emergency powers used for genuine crisis response, not constitutional alteration, (e) Illustrates constitutional resilience: Basic structure doctrine ensures Constitution's core identity preserved even during crisis; balance between crisis response capacity and preservation of constitutional democracy.

Topic Article 352 - Emergency and Constitutional Amendments
Exam Relevance Constitutional amendments during Emergency critical for UPSC Mains and Judiciary exams