GK Question

polity hard true_false

The Supreme Court has used the Preamble as an interpretive aid in landmark judgments, including recognizing right to privacy (Puttaswamy, 2017) based on Preamble's dignity value, and protecting secularism (SR Bommai, 1994) based on Preamble's secular commitment.

  1. True
  2. False

Answer: True

Preamble's interpretive role: (a) Puttaswamy v. Union of India (2017): (i) Recognized right to privacy as intrinsic to Article 21, (ii) Preamble's dignity value guided interpretation: Privacy essential for human dignity, autonomy, (iii) Privacy also linked to liberty (Article 19), equality (Article 14), showing Preamble's interconnected values, (b) SR Bommai v. Union of India (1994): (i) Held secularism part of basic structure, (ii) Preamble's secular commitment guided interpretation: State neutrality in religious matters essential to constitutional identity, (iii) Enabled judicial review of President's Rule imposition based on secularism violations, (c) Other examples: (i) Minerva Mills (1980): Preamble's justice, liberty, equality guided FR-DPSP balance interpretation, (ii) Navtej Singh Johar (2018): Preamble's dignity, equality guided LGBTQ+ rights recognition, (d) Limits: (i) Preamble not directly enforceable: Must be linked to specific provisions (Fundamental Rights, Directive Principles), (ii) Interpretive aid, not standalone basis: Courts use Preamble to resolve ambiguities, not create new rights absent constitutional text, (e) Illustrates living constitutionalism: Preamble as normative compass enabling constitutional adaptation to contemporary challenges while preserving core values.

Topic Preamble - Interpretive Role in Judicial Decisions
Exam Relevance Preamble interpretive role critical for UPSC Mains and Judiciary exams