31/01/2026
✅ *Constitution Law Chronological Case List (1950 - 2025)*
◾ *1950 – A.K. Gopalan v. State of Madras:* Fundamental Rights interpretation (preventive detention vs. Article 21’s “procedure established by law”)
◾ *1950 – Romesh Thapar v. State of Madras:* Freedom of speech & press (striking down censorship; necessity of public order ground for restrictions)
◾ *1950 – Brij Bhushan v. State of Delhi:* Freedom of press (invalidating prior restraint; press liberty under Article 19(1)(a) vis-à-vis security laws)
◾ *1951 – State of Madras v. Champakam Dorairajan:* Equality vs. Reservation (caste-based quotas in education violating Fundamental Rights; FRs override DPSPs)
◾ *1951 – Shankari Prasad v. Union of India:* Amendment power (Parliament can amend any part of Constitution including Fundamental Rights; Article 13’s “law” excludes amendments)
◾ *1951 – In re Delhi Laws Act:* Separation of powers (permissible delegated legislation; legislature cannot delegate essential law-making policy)
◾ *1952 – State of West Bengal v. Anwar Ali Sarkar:* Right to Equality (striking down a law enabling arbitrary classification for special courts; articulated reasonable classification test)
◾ *1952 – State of Bihar v. Kameshwar Singh:* Right to Property (first zamindari abolition case – compensation and Ninth Schedule; led to upholding land reforms via First Amendment)
◾ *1954 – State of West Bengal v. Bela Banerjee:* Right to Property (compensation must be “just equivalent” to value; struck down law capping land compensation; led to Fourth Amendment)
◾ *1955 – Budhan Choudhry v. State of Bihar:* Right to Equality (reiterated Article 14 classification doctrine; laid groundwork later applied in Dalmia).
◾ *1957 – M. Nagaraj v. State of Bombay (Narasu Appa Mali case):* [Bombay High Court] Personal law vs. Fundamental Rights (held that uncodified personal laws are not “laws” under Article 13).
◾ *1958 – In re Kerala Education Bill:* Minority rights (Article 30 – struck down provisions undermining minority-run school management in guise of regulation).
◾ *1958 – Mohd. Hanif Quareshi v. State of Bihar:* Freedom of religion & trade vs. Directive Principles (upheld cow slaughter bans as reasonable; religious slaughter not essential practice).
◾ *1958 – Pandit M.S.M. Sharma v. Sri Krishna Sinha (“Searchlight”):* Legislative privilege vs. Free Speech (affirmed Assembly power to regulate publication of proceedings over press freedom).
◾ *1958 – Ram Krishna Dalmia v. Justice Tendolkar:* Right to Equality (comprehensive exposition of intelligible differentia + rational nexus test; upheld a special inquiry law).
◾ *1960 – In re Berubari Union:* Territory of the Union (constitutional amendment required to cede territory; Preamble has no independent legal force).
◾ *1962 – Kharak Singh v. State of U.P.:* Article 21, privacy & surveillance (domiciliary visits unconstitutional; privacy seeds).
◾ *1965 – Sajjan Singh v. State of Rajasthan:* Amending power; early hints of basic structure.
◾ *1967 – I.C. Golaknath v. State of Punjab:* No curtailment of FRs by amendment (later limited).
◾ *1970 – R.C. Cooper v. Union of India:* Effects test; property/business rights; bank nationalisation scrutiny.
◾ *1971 – Madhav Rao Scindia v. Union of India:* Privy purses/merger covenants – executive cannot unilaterally abolish.
◾ *1973 – Kesavananda Bharati v. State of Kerala:* Basic Structure Doctrine crystallised; limits on Article 368.
◾ *1973 – Bennett Coleman & Co. v. Union of India:* Press freedom; quantitative curbs unconstitutional.
◾ *1973 – Shambhu Nath Sarkar v. State of W.B.:* Preventive detention—specific, relevant grounds required.
◾ *1975 – Indira Nehru Gandhi v. Raj Narain:* Basic structure shields judicial review/fair elections; 39th Amendment curtailed.
◾ *1976 – ADM Jabalpur v. Shivkant Shukla:* Emergency & habeas corpus—majority error; Khanna, J. dissent stands tall.
◾ *1977 – State of Rajasthan v. Union of India:* Article 356 review—very limited (later evolved).
◾ *1978 – Maneka Gandhi v. Union of India:* Expanded Article 21, due process & interlinkage of FRs.
◾ *1978/80 – Sunil Batra v. Delhi Administration:* Prisoner rights, dignity in custody.
◾ *1979–80 – Hussainara Khatoon v. State of Bihar:* Speedy trial = FR.
◾ *1980 – Bachan Singh v. State of Punjab:* Death penalty rarest of rare.
◾ *1980 – Minerva Mills v. Union of India:* Basic structure reaffirmed, harmony FR–DPSP.
◾ *1981 – Francis Coralie Mullin v. Administrator, Delhi:* Right to life = dignity.
◾ *1981 – S.P. Gupta v. Union of India:* First Judges Case; PIL expansion.
◾ *1982 – PUDR v. Union of India:* Minimum wages, socio-economic rights.
◾ *1983–87 – Sheela Barse v. State of Maharashtra:* Custodial rights, legal aid.
◾ *1985 – Olga Tellis v. BMC:* Right to livelihood under Article 21.
◾ *1986 – M.C. Mehta v. Union of India (Oleum Gas):* Absolute liability doctrine
◾ *1989 – Charan Lal Sahu v. Union of India:* Bhopal Gas disaster compensation.
◾ *1992 – Indra Sawhney v. Union of India:* OBC reservations; creamy layer; 50% cap.
◾ *1993 – Unnikrishnan v. State of A.P.:* Right to education under Article 21.
◾ *1994 – S.R. Bommai v. Union of India:* Federalism, secularism, limits on Art. 356.
◾ *1994 – R. Rajagopal v. State of T.N.:* Right to privacy recognised.
◾ *1997 – Vishaka v. State of Rajasthan:* Sexual harassment guidelines.
◾ *1997 – State of Bihar v. L.K. Advani (Jain Hawala):* Rule of law, independent probes.
◾ *2000 – Narmada Bachao Andolan v. Union of India:* Sustainable development doctrine.
◾ *2002 – T.M.A. Pai Foundation v. State of Karnataka:* Private education rights.
◾ *2002 – Union of India v. ADR:* Candidate disclosure, voter’s right to know.
◾ *2002 – Aruna Roy v. Union of India:* Secularism in curriculum.
◾ *2003 – PUCL v. Union of India:* Voter’s right to know reaffirmed.
◾ *2004 – (Follow-ups in M.C. Mehta continuing mandamus):* Right to environment.
◾ *2006 – Prakash Singh v. Union of India:* Police reforms; autonomy from political interference.
◾ *2007 – I.R. Coelho v. State of Tamil Nadu:* Ninth Schedule laws subject to Basic Structure review.
◾ *2010 – Selvi v. State of Karnataka:* Ban on forced narco/polygraph; mental privacy protected.
◾ *2011 – Aruna Shanbaug v. Union of India:* Passive euthanasia allowed with safeguards.
◾ *2012 – 2G Spectrum Case:* Natural resources allocation must be transparent; 122 licenses cancelled.
◾ *2013 – Medha Kotwal Lele v. Union of India:* Vishaka enforcement; workplace harassment redress.
◾ *2014 – NALSA v. Union of India:* Transgender recognised as third gender.
◾ *2014 – Coal Block Allocation Case:* 214 coal block allocations cancelled.
◾ *2014 – Resurgence India v. Election Commission:* NOTA introduced.
◾ *2015 – Shreya Singhal v. Union of India:* Section 66A struck down; internet speech protected.
◾ *2017 – K.S. Puttaswamy (Privacy):* Right to Privacy = Fundamental Right.
◾ *2017 – Shayara Bano v. Union of India:* Triple Talaq unconstitutional.
◾ *2017 – Binoy Viswam v. Union of India:* Aadhaar–PAN linkage upheld.
◾ *2018 – K.S. Puttaswamy (Aadhaar):* Aadhaar upheld (welfare use only); struck down private use.
◾ *2018 – Common Cause v. Union of India:* Passive euthanasia, living wills recognised.
◾ *2018 – Joseph Shine v. Union of India:* Adultery law struck down.
◾ *2018 – Navtej Singh Johar v. Union of India:* Homosexuality decriminalised.
◾ *2018 – Indian Young Lawyers Association v. State of Kerala:* Sabarimala entry for women.
◾ *2019 – Ayodhya Verdict:* Land to Ram Lalla; Waqf Board given 5 acres elsewhere.
◾ *2019 – Puttaswamy (RTI):* Privacy vs transparency balance.
◾ *2020 – Anuradha Bhasin v. Union of India:* Internet freedom fundamental right.
◾ *2022 – Janhit Abhiyan v. Union of India:* Upheld 10% EWS reservation — economic criteria valid under equality.
◾ *2022 – Deepika Singh v. Central Administrative Tribunal:* Recognised atypical families as deserving equal protection under Article 14.
◾ *2022 – X v. Principal Secretary (Delhi):* Extended right to abortion to all women, regardless of marital status.
◾ *2023 – Supriyo v. Union of India:* Declined to legalise same-sex marriage — ruled it must be legislated —but affirmed dignity of q***r relationships.
◾ *2024 – Association for Democratic Reforms v. Union of India:* Declared the Electoral Bond Scheme unconstitutional — elevated transparency and voters’ right to information.
◾ *2024 – State of Punjab v. Davinder Singh:* Permitted sub-classification within SC/ST reservations for targeted affirmative action.
◾ *2025 – State of Tamil Nadu v. Governor of Tamil Nadu:* Governors cannot exercise absolute or pocket veto — reinforced federal structure and legislative process.
◾ *2025 – ANI v. Wikimedia Foundation: Reinforced press freedom:* courts must tolerate criticism and avoid over-censorship.
