Conflict with Fundamental Rights — Current Affairs 2026

Current Affairs Connections

Recent developments and news linked to Conflict with Fundamental Rights.

Supreme Court upholds EWS reservation in NEET admissions

October 2024

The Supreme Court's recent validation of 10% reservation for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) in medical college admissions represents a contemporary manifestation of the FR-DPSP conflict. The case involved challenges to the 103rd Constitutional Amendment (2019) that introduced Article 15(6) and 16(6) to provide reservation based on economic criteria. Critics argued this violated the basic structure by breaching the 50% reservation ceiling established in Indira Sawhney case and compromised merit-based selection (right to equality under Article 14). Supporters contended it implemented Directive Principles of social justice (Articles 38, 39, 46) by addressing economic inequality. The Court's decision to uphold EWS reservation while maintaining the Indira Sawhney framework demonstrates the continuing evolution of harmonious construction between individual rights and social justice objectives.

UPSC Angle: Expect questions on the constitutional validity of EWS reservation, its impact on the 50% ceiling, and how it represents modern FR-DPSP harmonization. Prelims may test specific constitutional articles, while Mains could ask about balancing merit and social justice.

Background (2024)

Earlier events that provide context for this topic.

Right to Internet declared fundamental right during farmers' protests

January 2024

During the 2024 farmers' protests, several High Courts declared that access to the internet is part of the fundamental right to freedom of speech and expression under Article 19(1)(a) and the right to life under Article 21. This development creates new dimensions in the FR-DPSP conflict, as the government argued that internet shutdowns were necessary to maintain public order and implement policies for agricultural reform (connected to Directive Principles in Articles 38, 39, and 47 regarding rural development and farmer welfare). The tension between individual communication rights and state policies for collective welfare represents a modern evolution of the classical FR-DPSP conflict, now extending to digital rights and information access in the context of policy implementation.

UPSC Angle: Questions may focus on digital rights as fundamental rights, reasonable restrictions on internet access, and the balance between individual communication rights and public order. Expect both factual questions about recent judgments and analytical questions about digital rights in the constitutional framework.