GK Question

polity medium mcq

The 'Basic Structure Doctrine' of the Constitution was propounded by the Supreme Court in which landmark case?

  1. Golaknath Case (1967)
  2. Kesavananda Bharati Case (1973)
  3. Minerva Mills Case (1980)
  4. S.R. Bommai Case (1994)

Answer: Kesavananda Bharati Case (1973)

The Basic Structure Doctrine was established in the landmark Kesavananda Bharati v. State of Kerala case (1973). The Supreme Court held that while Parliament has power to amend the Constitution under Article 368, it cannot alter the 'basic structure' or essential features of the Constitution (e.g., supremacy of Constitution, secularism, federalism, judicial review).

Topic Constitutional Amendments
Exam Relevance Critical for UPSC Prelims/Mains and SSC; foundational concept in constitutional law