Right to Equality — Landmark Judgments
Landmark Judgments
State of West Bengal vs Anwar Ali Sarkar
1952This foundational case established the doctrine of reasonable classification under Article 14, drawing from American equal protection jurisprudence. The court held that Article 14…
Champakam Dorairajan vs State of Madras
1951This landmark case highlighted the tension between formal equality and affirmative action in the early years of the Constitution. The Supreme Court struck down the Madras…
Indra Sawhney vs Union of India (Mandal Commission Case)
1992This nine-judge bench decision represents the most comprehensive judicial examination of reservation policy under Articles 15(4) and 16(4). The court upheld 27% reservation for…
E.P. Royappa vs State of Tamil Nadu
1974This revolutionary judgment transformed Article 14 jurisprudence by introducing the concept that arbitrariness is antithetical to equality. The court held that where an act is…
Maneka Gandhi vs Union of India
1978This landmark case established the 'golden triangle' theory, demonstrating the interconnectedness of Articles 14, 19, and 21. The court held that these articles are not mutually…
Navtej Singh Johar vs Union of India
2018This historic judgment decriminalized homosexuality by striking down Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code insofar as it criminalized consensual sexual acts between adults. The…
Kesavananda Bharati vs State of Kerala
1973While primarily known for establishing the basic structure doctrine, this case also significantly impacted equality jurisprudence. The court held that equality is part of the…
Balaji vs State of Mysore
1963This case established important principles regarding reservation policy under Article 15(4). The court struck down the Mysore government's reservation policy that provided 68%…