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Study Guide · Chapter 54
Master Case Law Alphabetical Index
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Every Case Cited Across This Entire Package, A-to-Z, One Line Each
How to Use This Chapter
Across 52 chapters, dozens of cases have been introduced in their topical context. This final reference strips away context and gives you a pure alphabetical index — useful for rapid-fire self-testing ("what does this case hold?") without the surrounding topic cueing you toward the answer, which is a harder and more realistic test of true recall.
| Case | One-Line Holding |
|---|---|
| A.K. Gopalan v. State of Madras (1950) | Early narrow view — Articles 14/19/21 mutually exclusive (later overturned) |
| Anoop Baranwal v. Union of India (2023) | Directed PM-LoP-CJI committee for CEC/EC appointments pending legislation |
| Anuradha Bhasin v. Union of India (2020) | Internet access protected under Article 19(1)(a)/(g); shutdowns need proportionality |
| Association for Democratic Reforms v. Union of India (2002) | Voters have a right to know candidates' criminal antecedents/assets |
| Association for Democratic Reforms v. Union of India (2024) | Struck down the Electoral Bonds Scheme as violating Article 19(1)(a) |
| Bandhua Mukti Morcha v. Union of India (1984) | Bonded labour identification/rehabilitation linked to Article 21 dignity |
| Berubari Union case (1960) | Preamble NOT part of Constitution (later overruled); cession needs amendment |
| Bijoe Emmanuel v. State of Kerala (1986) | Students need not sing anthem if religious objection, but must show respect |
| Champakam Dorairajan v. State of Madras (1951) | FR prevails over DPSP in conflict; prompted 1st Amendment |
| CPIO, Supreme Court of India v. Subhash Chandra Agarwal (2019) | CJI's office is a "public authority" under RTI Act |
| Golaknath v. State of Punjab (1967) | Parliament CANNOT amend Fundamental Rights (later modified) |
| I.R. Coelho v. State of Tamil Nadu (2007) | Post-1973 Ninth Schedule laws testable against basic structure |
| In re: Assent, Withholding or Reservation of Bills (2025) | Advisory opinion: no fixed timelines/deemed assent for Governor/President bill action |
| Indira Nehru Gandhi v. Raj Narain (1975) | Struck down 39th Amendment's exemption of PM election from judicial review |
| Indra Sawhney v. Union of India (1992) | Upheld OBC reservation; 50% ceiling; "creamy layer" concept introduced |
| Jarnail Singh v. Lachhmi Narain Gupta (2018) | SC/ST presumed backward for promotion-reservation; creamy layer still applies |
| Joseph Shine v. Union of India (2018) | Struck down Section 497 IPC (adultery as crime) |
| Kedar Nath Singh v. State of Bihar (1962) | Upheld sedition law but narrowed to incitement-to-violence only |
| Kesavananda Bharati v. State of Kerala (1973) | Established the Basic Structure Doctrine |
| Kihoto Hollohan v. Zachillhu (1992) | Speaker's anti-defection disqualification decisions subject to judicial review |
| L. Chandra Kumar v. Union of India (1997) | Judicial review by HC/SC is basic structure; tribunals can't wholly exclude it |
| Maneka Gandhi v. Union of India (1978) | "Golden triangle" — Articles 14/19/21 interconnected; fair procedure required |
| M. Nagaraj v. Union of India (2006) | Upheld promotion-reservation but required quantifiable backwardness data |
| M.C. Mehta v. Kamal Nath (1997) | Imported the Public Trust Doctrine into Indian environmental law |
| M.C. Mehta v. Union of India (Oleum Gas Leak, 1986) | Established Absolute Liability principle for hazardous industries |
| Minerva Mills v. Union of India (1980) | Struck down 42nd Amendment's DPSP-primacy/judicial-review-exclusion; FR-DPSP harmony is basic structure |
| Navtej Singh Johar v. Union of India (2018) | Decriminalized consensual homosexual acts (read down Section 377 IPC) |
| Olga Tellis v. Bombay Municipal Corporation (1985) | Right to livelihood is part of Article 21 |
| P.A. Inamdar v. State of Maharashtra (2005) | Refined balance between institutional autonomy and state regulation |
| People's Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) v. Union of India (2013) | Established NOTA as a voter right |
| People's Union for Democratic Rights v. Union of India (1982) | Sub-minimum wages constitute "forced labour" under Article 23 |
| S.G. Vombatkere v. Union of India (2022) | Sedition (Section 124A) enforcement effectively suspended pending reconsideration |
| S.P. Gupta v. Union of India (1981) | "First Judges Case" — executive primacy in judicial appointments |
| S.R. Bommai v. Union of India (1994) | Curbed Article 356 misuse; floor test; judicial review of President's satisfaction |
| Sakal Papers v. Union of India (1962) | Struck down press-circulation restrictions as violating Article 19(1)(a) |
| Shankari Prasad v. Union of India (1951) | Parliament CAN amend Fundamental Rights (via Article 368) |
| Shayara Bano v. Union of India (2017) | Declared instant Triple Talaq unconstitutional |
| St. Stephen's College v. University of Delhi (1992) | Upheld minority institutions' preferential admission rights, within reasonableness |
| State of Madras v. Champakam Dorairajan | (see Champakam Dorairajan above) |
| State of Tamil Nadu v. Governor of Tamil Nadu (2025) | No Governor pocket veto; time limits + "deemed assent" via Art. 142 (later narrowed) |
| State of U.P. v. Raj Narain (1975) | Right to know implicit in Article 19(1)(a) freedom of speech |
| State of West Bengal v. Union of India (1963) | India = "indestructible Union of destructible states" |
| Supreme Court AoR Association v. Union of India (1993) | "Second Judges Case" — established the Collegium system |
| Supreme Court AoR Association v. Union of India (2015) | "Fourth Judges Case"/NJAC case — struck down NJAC, restored Collegium |
| T.M.A. Pai Foundation v. State of Karnataka (2002) | Minority status assessed state-wise; reasonable regulation of institutions permitted |
| T.N. Godavarman Thirumulpad v. Union of India (1996–ongoing) | "Continuing mandamus" — sustained judicial oversight of forest policy |
| Unni Krishnan v. State of Andhra Pradesh (1993) | Right to education up to age 14 implicit in Article 21 |
| Vineet Narain v. Union of India (1997) | Directed CBI/CVC institutional reforms, leading to CVC's statutory status |
| Vishaka v. State of Rajasthan (1997) | Workplace sexual harassment guidelines, drawing on CEDAW |
Self-Test Protocol
- Cover the right-hand column.
- Read only the case name.
- State the holding aloud or in writing before checking.
- Track which cases you consistently miss — these are your genuine weak points, not just chapters you haven't re-read recently.
Chapter 53 Quick Revision Sheet
This index, used as a blind self-test rather than a passive read-through, is likely the single highest-value 15-minute activity in your final week of Prelims preparation — case-law recall under decontextualized conditions mirrors the actual exam experience far more closely than topic-organized review.