GK Question

polity hard mcq

Which recent Supreme Court judgment applied the principle of 'Constitutional Morality' to hold that the State cannot criminalize private consensual conduct between adults, even if such conduct is disapproved by social morality?

  1. Shayara Bano v. Union of India (2017)
  2. Navtej Singh Johar v. Union of India (2018)
  3. Joseph Shine v. Union of India (2018)
  4. Both (b) and (c)

Answer: Both (b) and (c)

Constitutional Morality applications: (a) Navtej Singh Johar (2018): Struck down Section 377 IPC (consensual same-sex relations) - Constitutional Morality (dignity, autonomy) overrides social morality, (b) Joseph Shine (2018): Struck down adultery law (Section 497 IPC) - Gender equality, individual autonomy under Constitutional Morality override patriarchal social norms. Both judgments affirm: Constitutional values protect individual rights against majoritarian impulses; courts interpret Constitution as transformative document advancing substantive equality and dignity.

Topic Constitutional Morality - Recent Applications
Exam Relevance Constitutional morality and individual rights question critical for UPSC Mains and Judiciary exams