Article 19(2) allows the State to impose reasonable restrictions on freedom of speech on grounds including:

Explanation

Article 19(1)(a) protects freedom of speech and expression, but Article 19(2) carves out a closed set of grounds on which the State may make laws imposing reasonable restrictions. The official Constitution text lists these grounds as the sovereignty and integrity of India, security of the State, friendly relations with foreign States, public order, decency or morality, contempt of court, defamation, and incitement to an offence. That is why option C is complete: it captures the full constitutional list rather than selecting only a few heads. The sovereignty and integrity ground was added by the Sixteenth Amendment, 1963.

Why the other options are wrong

• (A) Public order and morality are Article 19(2) grounds, but the clause also includes sovereignty and integrity of India, security of the State, friendly relations with foreign States, contempt of court, defamation, and incitement to an offence.
• (B) Sovereignty and security-related concerns are covered, but Article 19(2) is not limited to them and also covers public order, decency or morality, contempt of court, defamation, incitement to an offence, and friendly relations with foreign States.
• (D) Article 19(2) does not give the State an open-ended power to choose any ground it considers reasonable; the restriction must fit within the grounds specified in the clause.

Concept

This tests the Fundamental Rights limitation framework, especially how Article 19 rights are protected but not absolute. It recurs in RAS because questions often turn on the exact constitutional grounds for restricting civil liberties.

Source

• Legislative Department, Ministry of Law and Justice, Government of India - Constitution of India

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