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Key Points at a Glance is part of the Recent Constitutional Developments, Judicial Pronouncements, Constitutional Morality, Transformative Constitutionalism topic within Polity, Governance and Current Affairs. It is a guided section preview; free signup lets you claim one intro topic, and the first gated topic you open stays yours.

Is Key Points at a Glance relevant for the RAS exam?

Yes. Key Points at a Glance falls under Polity, Governance and Current Affairs in Paper III Unit 1 of the RPSC RAS syllabus and is directly aligned to exam-relevant sub-themes.

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Key Points at a Glance | Recent Constitutional Developments, Judicial Pronouncements, Constitutional Morality, Transformative Constitutionalism

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The section is designed as a focused preview. The full topic Recent Constitutional Developments, Judicial Pronouncements, Constitutional Morality, Transformative Constitutionalism takes approximately 24 minutes to read, with this section being a fraction of that.

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Key Points at a Glance

Constitutional Morality
- Term used by Dr. Ambedkar in the Constituent Assembly
- Refers to adherence to constitutional values (democratic process, individual rights, institutional procedures) over popular morality (majoritarian social norms)
- Supreme Court invoked it in Navtej Singh Johar (2018) and Sabarimala (2018) to protect minority rights against popular opposition
Transformative Constitutionalism
- Idea that a constitution is not merely a static legal document but a transformative instrument for social change
- Indian Constitution — embracing equality, dignity, and fraternity — was designed to transform a hierarchical society
- Justice D.Y. Chandrachud has been its foremost judicial proponent in India
Navtej Singh Johar v. Union of India (2018)
- Supreme Court (5-judge bench, unanimous) struck down Section 377 IPC in relation to consensual homosexual acts between adults
- Violated Articles 14, 15, 19, and 21
- Held that sexual orientation is a protected ground under Article 15 because discrimination on this ground is analogous to discrimination on sex
- Affirmed the right to sexual autonomy under Article 21
Joseph Shine v. Union of India (2018)
- Supreme Court (5-judge bench, unanimous) struck down Section 497 IPC (adultery law)
- Violated Articles 14, 15, and 21 because the provision treated women as the property of husbands
- Held that marital choices belong to individual autonomy
- Eliminated a colonial-era law treating wives as subordinate
Shayara Bano v. Union of India (2017)
- Supreme Court by 3:2 majority struck down instant triple talaq (talaq-e-biddat) as manifestly arbitrary and violative of Article 14
- Parliament enacted the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Act 2019
- Instant triple talaq was made a criminal offence punishable with imprisonment of up to 3 years and fine
K.S. Puttaswamy v. Union of India (2017)
- Landmark 9-judge bench (unanimous) held Right to Privacy is a Fundamental Right under Articles 14, 19, and 21, with Article 21 as its core foundation
- Overruled M.P. Sharma (1954) and Kharak Singh (1963)
- Far-reaching implications for data protection, Aadhaar, surveillance, and individual autonomy
Indian Young Lawyers Association v. State of Kerala (Sabarimala, 2018)
- 4:1 majority held exclusion of women aged 10–50 from Sabarimala temple violated Articles 14, 15, 17, and 25
- Justice Indu Malhotra dissented
- Court invoked constitutional morality over popular/religious morality
- Referred to a 9-judge bench in 2019 for broader questions on the interface between religious freedom and gender rights
Janhit Abhiyan v. Union of India (2022)
- Supreme Court by 3:2 majority upheld the 103rd Constitutional Amendment providing 10% EWS reservation
- Held it does not violate the Basic Structure; economic criterion is a valid classification
- Two dissenters (Justices Ravindra Bhat and Sudhanshu Dhulia) held it breaches the 50% ceiling and violates equality
In Re: Article 370 (2023)
- Constitutional Bench (5 judges, unanimous) upheld the Presidential Order of August 2019 abrogating J&K's special status
- Article 370 was a temporary provision; J&K's sovereignty had completely merged with India
- The President's power under Article 370(3) had not lapsed after the dissolution of the J&K Constituent Assembly; during President's Rule under Article 356, Parliament could exercise the powers of the J&K legislature for relevant purposes
- Directed elections by September 2024; Assembly elections were held in 2024
Rohith Vemula (2016) and Constitutional Identity
- Debate following Rohith Vemula's institutional suicide intensified discussions on caste-based discrimination in educational institutions
- Highlighted the gap between constitutional ideals (Articles 15, 17, 21) and lived reality
- Illustrates the tension between constitutional text and transformative social achievement
Citizenship Amendment Act 2019 (CAA)
- Provided expedited citizenship to persecuted non-Muslim minorities (Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis, Christians) from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan who arrived before 31 December 2014
- Rules notified in March 2024
- Petitions challenging CAA as violating Article 14 by discriminating on religion are pending before the Supreme Court
New Criminal Law Trilogy (2023)
- Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 2023 replaced IPC 1860
- Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) 2023 replaced CrPC 1973
- Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA) 2023 replaced Indian Evidence Act 1872
- All came into force 1 July 2024; the policy framing emphasises "Justice first, punishment second"