RAS question
Which body is the final interpreter of the Indian Constitution?
Correct answer: (C) Supreme Court of India.
The Supreme Court of India is the final interpreter of the Indian Constitution.
Explanation
The Supreme Court is the right answer because constitutional interpretation ultimately belongs to the court placed at the apex of India’s integrated judicial system. Articles 124-147 deal with the Supreme Court, and Article 141 makes its decisions binding on all courts in India. The official Supreme Court page supports the same logic: it describes the Constitution as the supreme legal authority binding the legislature, executive and judiciary; says an independent judiciary can invalidate legislation or government action that violates the Constitution; and states that Supreme Court decisions are binding on all courts within India. That is why Parliament may make laws, but the Supreme Court decides their constitutional meaning and validity.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Parliament enacts laws, but the Constitution is supreme and the independent judiciary can invalidate laws that violate it.
- (B) The President is the head of state, but the President does not hold the role of final constitutional interpretation.
- (D) The Election Commission conducts elections, whereas constitutional adjudication belongs within the court system headed by the Supreme Court.
Concept
This tests constitutional supremacy, judicial review and the Supreme Court’s position in the Indian judicial hierarchy. It recurs in RAS because separation of powers and the binding effect of Supreme Court decisions are core governance themes.