Landmark Supreme Court Cases — Set 17

Correct Answer: B. Government must follow fair and reasonable procedure while awarding contracts, subject to judicial review

Delhi Development Authority v UEE Electricals Engg. Pvt Ltd (2004) reinforced the principle that government authorities exercising public power, including in the domain of commercial contracts, must act fairly, transparently, and reasonably. The Supreme Court held that the right to equality under Article 14 requires that state actors follow fair procedure in all their activities including contract awards, and that courts can review arbitrary or mala fide decisions in government contracting. This principle — that the government's commercial activities are subject to constitutional scrutiny — is now well-established through a series of judgments and prevents the government from exercising its contractual power arbitrarily.

Correct Answer: B. Constitutional morality must trump popular morality — the Constitution protects minorities against majoritarian preferences

Navtej Singh Johar v Union of India (2018) made a seminal distinction between 'constitutional morality' and 'popular morality' or 'social morality'. The court held that the Constitution embodies its own morality — one that values dignity, equality, and individual autonomy — and this constitutional morality must prevail over popular morality or majoritarian public opinion. The court held that Section 377 IPC reflected Victorian-era popular morality that treated homosexuality as deviant, but this popular morality is unconstitutional when it violates the dignity and equality of LGBT persons guaranteed by the Constitution. This distinction is now a major analytical tool in rights adjudication, especially for marginalized groups.

Correct Answer: B. Overcrowding, lack of legal aid and inhuman conditions in Indian prisons

In Re: Inhuman Conditions in 1382 Prisons (2016) is a suo motu case initiated by the Supreme Court to address the systemic crisis in India's prison system, including extreme overcrowding (most prisons house 150-200% of their capacity), lack of legal aid for undertrial prisoners, inadequate medical facilities, poor sanitation, and the large proportion of undertrial prisoners who often remain in jail longer than the maximum sentence for their alleged offence. The court issued comprehensive directions including for release of undertrial prisoners who have completed half their maximum sentence, improved conditions, and regular prison visits by District Legal Services Authorities.

Correct Answer: B. Lapse of acquisition proceedings — when an acquisition lapses if compensation is not paid within 5 years

Indore Development Authority v Manoharlal (2020) was decided by a 5-judge constitutional bench that overruled the earlier Supreme Court judgment in Pune Municipal Corporation v Harakchand Misirimal Solanki (2014) on the crucial question of when land acquisition proceedings lapse under the Land Acquisition Act, 2013. The court held that an acquisition does not lapse merely because compensation has been tendered but not paid due to the land owner's refusal or absence — the key is whether the state has taken possession of the land. This clarification was important as the earlier interpretation of lapse had led to thousands of acquisitions being challenged and reversed, causing major disruption to public infrastructure projects.

Correct Answer: B. Appeals based on religion, caste, or community of either the candidate or voters to seek votes

Abhiram Singh v C.D. Commachen (2017) was decided by a 7-judge constitutional bench that held, by a 4:3 majority, that Section 123(3) of the Representation of People Act prohibits any appeal to vote on the ground of religion, race, caste, community, or language — of either the candidate, his agents, or the voters. This overruled the narrower interpretation in Ramesh Yeshwant Prabhoo v Prabhakar Kashinath Kunte (1996) which had held that only appeals based on the candidate's own religion are prohibited. The broad interpretation means candidates cannot appeal to voters on any identity ground, protecting the secular nature of democratic elections.

Correct Answer: B. Moral rights of artists — the government's destruction of Amar Nath Sehgal's bronze murals

Amar Nath Sehgal v Union of India (2005) is a landmark case on moral rights of artists in India. The sculptor Amar Nath Sehgal had created a large bronze mural that adorned the main lobby of Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi. When the government demolished and stored it in a warehouse without his permission, he sued for violation of his moral rights. The Delhi High Court, recognizing moral rights under Section 57 of the Copyright Act and under Article 19(1)(a) as a component of freedom of expression, awarded compensation and directed the government to restore or restore the mural. This case established that artists have rights over their works beyond the initial contract with the commissioning authority.

Correct Answer: B. Reproductive autonomy of women including the right to terminate pregnancy, protected from state interference

Suchita Srivastava v Chandigarh Administration (2009) concerned a woman with mental illness in state custody who had become pregnant due to rape by staff of the welfare home, and the state sought court permission for her abortion. The Supreme Court held that reproductive autonomy — including the right to decide whether to terminate a pregnancy — is a component of the right to life and personal liberty under Article 21. The state cannot override a woman's informed decision about her own pregnancy without her consent. The court also recognized the importance of women's autonomy in reproductive decisions even when they have mental illness, requiring a contextual assessment of competence rather than blanket overriding of their choices.

Correct Answer: B. To police interrogation as well — an accused person cannot be compelled to answer incriminating questions even during police inquiry

Nandini Satpathy v P.L. Dani (1978) is the landmark case in which Justice V.R. Krishna Iyer held that the right against self-incrimination under Article 20(3) of the Constitution applies to police interrogation and not just to formal court testimony. A person arrested or even accused (not yet arrested) cannot be compelled by the police to answer questions that may incriminate them. The court also held that the right to have a lawyer present during police interrogation is implied in the right against self-incrimination and in Article 22. This judgment built on the earlier D.K. Basu framework to protect accused persons from coercive interrogation techniques.

Correct Answer: B. Punjab Police for systemic fake encounter killings during militancy period in Punjab

Prithipal Singh v State of Punjab (2012) is a landmark judgment addressing the systemic practice of fake encounter killings by the Punjab Police during the period of militancy in Punjab in the 1980s and 1990s. The Supreme Court upheld the conviction and life imprisonment sentence of senior Punjab Police officers including former DGP K.P.S. Gill's era officers for staging fake encounters. The court held that security forces cannot claim immunity for extrajudicial killings even during anti-terrorism operations and that the right to life under Article 21 protects even accused militants and terrorists from being killed extrajudicially.

Correct Answer: B. Precautionary principle and Article 21's right to health as part of clean environment

The MC Mehta Delhi Vehicular Pollution judgments (1998-2002) were primarily based on the Precautionary Principle and the expanded interpretation of Article 21 to include the right to health and a clean environment. The court held that the overwhelming scientific and medical evidence about the serious health damage caused by vehicular pollution in Delhi required immediate and effective preventive action, even if its exact impact could not be precisely quantified. The court treated the right of Delhi's citizens to breathe clean air as a component of the right to life under Article 21 and directed government agencies to implement technological solutions (CNG conversion) rather than merely set emission standards and hope for voluntary compliance.