Conflict with Fundamental Rights — Landmark Judgments

Landmark Judgments

State of Madras v. Champakam Dorairajan

1951

This was the first major Supreme Court case to address the conflict between Fundamental Rights and Directive Principles. The case involved a challenge to the Madras government's…

Golaknath v. State of Punjab

1967

This landmark judgment held that Parliament does not have the power to amend Fundamental Rights, as they are 'transcendental and immutable.' The Court ruled that the word 'law' in…

Kesavananda Bharati v. State of Kerala

1973

This is arguably the most important constitutional case in Indian legal history, establishing the 'basic structure' doctrine. The 13-judge bench held that while Parliament has…

Minerva Mills Ltd. v. Union of India

1980

This case struck down key provisions of the 42nd Constitutional Amendment that had given Directive Principles supremacy over Fundamental Rights. The Court held that the balance…

Indira Sawhney v. Union of India (Mandal Commission Case)

1992

This landmark case on reservation for Other Backward Classes demonstrated the practical application of harmonious construction between Fundamental Rights and Directive Principles.…

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Dense constitutional and IR passages mirror CSAT-style comprehension and argument evaluation—build those skills in parallel. CSAT hub.

• Valid & invalid arguments
• Syllogisms
• Critical reasoning