Previous Year Question Patterns

PYQ Analysis — Topic 97 (Judicial Review, Activism)

Year	Marks	Question Summary	Sub-domain
2013	2	Short note (likely: PIL or judicial review)	Judicial Review
2016	10	Write about judicial activism and judicial overreach in India	Judicial Activism
2021	10	Role of Supreme Court as guardian of Indian Constitution	SC jurisdiction
2021	5	Five-mark on judicial review/PIL	Judicial Review/PIL

Pattern Observations:

1. This topic has delivered 10-mark questions in both 2016 and 2021 — one of the few topics to score 10 marks twice.
2. The 2016 question on "judicial activism vs. judicial overreach" is the most likely template for 2026.
3. E-courts and virtual courts are entirely new sub-domains absent from all previous papers — high probability for 2026.
4. Collegium system questions have appeared in Topic 94 context; here the focus would be on appointment mechanism and judicial independence.
5. The 2024 Electoral Bonds judgment is fresh material likely to yield a 5-mark or 10-mark question.

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