The Supreme Court has recognized human dignity and personal liberty as foundational values underlying Fundamental Rights and part of the basic structure, meaning Parliament cannot amend the Constitution to authorize arbitrary detention, torture, or destruction of personal autonomy.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Dignity and liberty as basic structure: (a) Foundational values: (i) Human dignity: Intrinsic worth of every individual, basis for Fundamental Rights, (ii) Personal liberty: Article 21 protection of life, liberty, autonomy, privacy, (iii) Interconnection: Dignity, liberty underpin rights under Articles 14, 19, 21, forming basic structure core, (b) Unamendable core: Parliament cannot amend Constitution to: (i) Authorize arbitrary detention without due process, (ii) Permit torture, cruel treatment violating human dignity, (iii) Destroy personal autonomy, privacy essential to liberty, (iv) Eliminate procedural safeguards (fair trial, legal aid) protecting dignity, liberty, (c) Applications: (i) Preventive detention: Laws must include procedural safeguards (Article 22); amendment cannot eliminate these core protections, (ii) Privacy rights: Puttaswamy recognized privacy as part of dignity, liberty; amendment cannot abolish privacy protection, (iii) Criminal justice: Laws must respect dignity of accused, victims; amendment cannot authorize degrading treatment, (d) Rationale: (i) Human worth: Dignity, liberty essential to constitutional identity (Preamble: 'dignity of the individual'), (ii) Rights foundation: Dignity, liberty underpin Fundamental Rights; destroying them undermines entire rights framework, (iii) Democratic values: Dignity, liberty essential for democratic participation, accountability, (e) Illustrates dignity-centric basic structure: Human dignity, personal liberty as unamendable core; amendment power cannot destroy foundational values essential to constitutional democracy, rights protection.