GK Question

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In Shayara Bano v. Union of India (2017), the Supreme Court struck down instant triple talaq as violating Article 14 (right to equality) because it was ______ and manifestly unreasonable, not an essential practice of Islam protected under Article 25.

  1. traditional
  2. arbitrary
  3. ancient
  4. religious

Answer: arbitrary

Shayara Bano (2017) triple talaq and Article 14: (a) Context: Challenge to instant triple talaq (talaq-e-biddat) practice in Muslim personal law, (b) Supreme Court holding (3:2 majority): (i) Instant triple talaq unconstitutional: Violates Article 14 (arbitrary, manifestly unreasonable), (ii) Not essential practice of Islam protected under Article 25; religious freedom subject to Fundamental Rights scrutiny, (iii) Constitutional Morality (gender equality, dignity) overrides discriminatory religious custom, (c) Applications: (i) Legislative follow-up: Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Act, 2019 criminalized instant triple talaq, (ii) Broader principle: Personal laws subject to Fundamental Rights scrutiny; religious freedom (Article 25) balanced with gender equality (Articles 14, 15), (iii) Comparative cases: Joseph Shine (2018) struck down adultery law (Section 497 IPC) as violating gender equality, dignity, autonomy, (d) Rationale: (i) Equality: Arbitrary practices that treat women unequally violate Article 14; gender equality essential to constitutional identity, (ii) Religious freedom: Article 25 protects essential religious practices, not arbitrary, discriminatory customs, (iii) Constitutional Morality: Prevails over social morality; constitutional values protect marginalized against majoritarian impulses, (e) Challenges: (i) Implementation: Awareness among Muslim women about legal rights, access to justice, (ii) Social change: Legal reform requires accompanying social education, community engagement, (iii) Balance: Respect for religious diversity while protecting individual rights, especially of marginalized within communities, (f) Illustrates transformative constitutionalism: Using constitutional values to reform discriminatory practices while respecting religious freedom; balance achieved through proportionality test, Constitutional Morality.

Topic Shayara Bano Case - Triple Talaq and Article 14
Exam Relevance Shayara Bano triple talaq critical for UPSC Mains and Judiciary exams