Public Interest Litigation — Prelims Strategy

Prelims Strategy

For Prelims preparation, focus on memorizing key facts and constitutional provisions. Remember that PIL is based on Articles 32 (Supreme Court) and 226 (High Courts), established through S.P. Gupta case (1981) by Justice P.

N. Bhagwati. Create a timeline of landmark cases: S.P. Gupta (1981) - foundation, Bandhua Mukti Morcha (1984) - bonded labor, M.C. Mehta (1987) - environment, Vishaka (1997) - workplace harassment. Understand the concept of locus standi transformation from 'person aggrieved' to 'sufficient interest.

' Practice elimination techniques by understanding what PIL is NOT - it's not for personal gain, not for political purposes, and not without genuine public interest. Focus on recent developments and guidelines to prevent misuse.

Pay attention to procedural aspects like epistolary jurisdiction and continuing mandamus. Common traps include confusing PIL with ordinary writ petitions, mixing up landmark cases with their specific contributions, and misunderstanding the constitutional basis.

Also build Paper II skills

Dense constitutional and IR passages mirror CSAT-style comprehension and argument evaluation—build those skills in parallel. CSAT hub.

• Valid & invalid arguments
• Syllogisms
• Critical reasoning