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Sl.
No.
Name of the Case (Year) Elements of the Basic
Structure (As Declared by the Supreme Court)
1. Kesavananda Bharati case3 (1973) (popularly known as the Fundamental Rights Case)
2. Indira Nehru Gandhi case3a (1975) (popularly known as the Election Case)
1. Supremacy of the Constitution
2. Separation of powers between the legislature, the executive and the judiciary
3. Republic and democratic form of government
4. Secular character of the constitution
5. Federal character of the constitution
6. Sovereignty and unity of India
7. Freedom and dignity of the individual
8. Mandate to build a welfare state
9. Parliamentary System
1. India as a sovereign democratic republic
2. Equality of status and opportunity of an individual
3. Secularism and freedom of conscience and religion
4. Government of laws and not of men (i.e., Rule of Law)
5. Judicial review
6. Free and fair elections which is implied in democracy
3. Minerva Mills case4 (1980) | 1. Limited power of Parliament to amend the constitution 2. Judicial review 3. Harmony and balance between fundamental rights and directive principles |
4. Central Coal Fields Ltd. Case8 (1980) | Effective access to justice |
5. Bhim Singhji Case9 (1981) | Welfare State (Socio- economic justice) |
6. S.P. Sampath Kumar Case10 (1987) | 1. Rule of law 2. Judicial review |
7. P. Sambamurthy Case11 (1987) | 1. Rule of law 2. Judicial review |
8. Delhi Judicial Service Powers of the Supreme Association Case12 (1991) Court under Articles 32, 136, 141 and 142 | |
9. Indra Sawhney Case13 (1992) (popularly known as the Mandal Case) | Rule of law |
10. Kumar Padma Prasad Case14 (1992) | Independence of judiciary |
11. Kihoto Hollohon Case15 (1993) (popularly known as Defection case) | 1. Free and fair elections 2. Sovereign, democratic, republican structure |
12. Raghunath Rao Case16 (1993) | 1. Principle of equality 2. Unity and integrity of India |
13. S.R. Bommai Case17 (1994) | 1. Federalism 2. Secularism 3. Democracy |
4. Unity and integrity of the nation 5. Social justice 6. Judicial review | |
14. L. Chandra Kumar Case18 (1997) | Powers of the High Courts under Articles 226 and 227 |
15. Indra Sawhney II Case19 (2000) | Principle of equality |
16. All India Judge’s Association Case20 (2002) | Independent judicial system |
17. Kuldip Nayar Case21 (2006) 1. Democracy 2. Free and fair elections | |
18. M. Nagaraj Case22 (2006) | Principle of equality |
19. I.R. Coelho Case23 (2007) (popularly known as IX Schedule Case) | 1. Rule of law 2. Separation of powers 3. Principles (or essence) underlying fundamental rights 4. Judicial review 5. Principle of equality |
20. Ram Jethmalani Case24 (2011) | Powers of the Supreme Court under Article 32 |
21. Namit Sharma Case25 (2013) | Freedom and dignity of the individual |
22. Madras Bar Association Case26 (2014) | 1. Judicial review 2. Powers of the High Courts under Articles 226 and 227 |