Supreme Court Ruling on Right to Privacy and National Security
The Supreme Court of India delivered a landmark judgment balancing the Right to Privacy with the state's interests in national security.
2-Minute Summary (TL;DR)
- Right to Privacy is a fundamental right under Article 21.
- State interference must meet the criteria of legality, necessity, and proportionality.
- National security is not a blanket exemption from judicial review.
- Reinforces the principles laid down in the Justice K.S. Puttaswamy (Retd.) v. Union of India case.
How This Topic is Tested in Competitive Exams
| Exam | Frequency | Approx. Marks | What Gets Asked |
|---|---|---|---|
| UPSC / State PCS | Very High | 15–25 | Polity is a core UPSC subject. Both Prelims and Mains test constitutional provisions in depth. |
| State PCS / PSC | High | 5–10 | State PCS papers test both central and state government structures. |
| SSC (CGL / CHSL / MTS) | High | 4–6 | Questions on constitutional amendments, Parliament, and schemes appear in every SSC paper. |
What to Memorize from This Topic
- Article numbers related to the topic (e.g., Article 356 for President's Rule)
- Constitutional bodies: composition, tenure, appointment authority
- Recent amendments and their impact
- Supreme Court / High Court judgements mentioned in news
- Government schemes: ministry, launch year, beneficiaries
Practice Questions
Q1. Which Article of the Indian Constitution covers the Right to Privacy as a fundamental right?
- Article 14
- Article 19
- Article 21
- Article 25
Explanation: The Supreme Court has held that the Right to Privacy is an integral part of the Right to Life and Liberty under Article 21.
Q2. The 'three-fold test' for state interference in privacy was established in which landmark case?
- Kesavananda Bharati case
- Puttaswamy case
- Minerva Mills case
- Golaknath case
Explanation: The three-fold test (legality, necessity, and proportionality) was established in the Justice K.S. Puttaswamy (Retd.) v. Union of India case.
How to Prepare Indian Polity & Governance for Government Exams
Map every news item to an Article or provision in the Constitution. This is what UPSC Prelims directly tests.
For SSC and Railway, focus on the practical side — who appoints whom, term lengths, and what each body does.
Note the date and context of any constitutional amendment or ordinance. Questions are often framed around the 'first time' or 'most recent' event.
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