landmark cases on the Constitution of India!

The Constitution of India is the supreme law of the country and provides the framework for its governance. Over time, courts have dealt with various constitutional disputes and established important precedents that have shaped India’s legal system. In this article, we will discuss some of the most significant landmark cases that have had an impact on the interpretation and implementation of the Indian Constitution.

1. Kesavananda Bharati v. State of Kerala – This case, decided by a 13-judge bench of the Supreme Court in 1973, is widely considered to be one of the most important constitutional law cases in Indian history. The case dealt with the question of whether the Parliament had the power to amend any part of the Constitution, including its basic structure. The court held that while the Parliament had the power to amend the Constitution, it could not use this power to alter its basic structure. This judgment established the principle of “basic structure”, which means that there are certain fundamental features of the Constitution that cannot be amended.

2. Maneka Gandhi v. Union of India – This landmark case, decided by the Supreme Court in 1978, dealt with the right to travel abroad. In this case, Maneka Gandhi’s passport was impounded by the government without giving her the opportunity to be heard. The court held that the right to travel abroad was a part of the right to life and personal liberty guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution, and that the government could not arbitrarily impound a person’s passport without following the principles of natural justice.

3. S.R. Bommai v. Union of India – This case, decided by the Supreme Court in 1994, dealt with the question of whether a state government can be dismissed by the President on the grounds of “failure of constitutional machinery”. The court held that the power to dismiss a state government should only be exercised in exceptional circumstances where the constitutional machinery has completely broken down. The judgment established the principle of federalism and the importance of preserving the democratic structure of state governments.

4. Indira Nehru Gandhi v. Raj Narain – This is a famous case from 1975, in which the Supreme Court declared the election of then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to be void and set aside her election victory. The court held that she had committed electoral malpractice by using government resources for election campaigning. This case established the importance of free and fair elections in India and strengthened the role of the judiciary in safeguarding the democratic process.

In conclusion, these landmark cases have had a significant impact on the interpretation and implementation of the Indian Constitution. They have helped establish important principles like the basic structure doctrine, the right to travel, federalism, and the importance of free and fair elections.