Question

The “Right to Privacy” was declared a Fundamental Right under the Constitution of India by the Supreme Court in which landmark case?

• A. Kesavananda Bharati v. State of Kerala
• B. Maneka Gandhi v. Union of India
• C. Justice K.S. Puttaswamy v. Union of India
• D. Minerva Mills v. Union of India

Hint:

Remember the famous constitutional case pairings: Kesavananda Bharati → Basic Structure Doctrine, Maneka Gandhi → Expanded Article 21, Puttaswamy → Right to Privacy, Minerva Mills → Balance between FRs and DPSPs.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Concept: Indian Polity questions in CUET GAT frequently test awareness of landmark constitutional cases and their significance. Rather than asking merely about constitutional articles, modern examinations increasingly focus on important Supreme Court judgments that have shaped the interpretation of Fundamental Rights. The Right to Privacy is now considered an intrinsic part of the Right to Life and Personal Liberty guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution.

Step 1: Understand the constitutional background. Originally, the Constitution did not explicitly mention: \[ \text{Right to Privacy} \] as a separate Fundamental Right. However, constitutional interpretation evolves through judicial decisions. The Supreme Court has repeatedly expanded the scope of Fundamental Rights through landmark judgments.

Step 2: Examine the significance of the Puttaswamy case. In: \[ \text{Justice K.S. Puttaswamy v. Union of India (2017)} \] a nine-judge constitutional bench unanimously held that privacy is a Fundamental Right. The Court observed that privacy is inseparable from: \[ \text{Liberty} \] \[ \text{Dignity} \] and \[ \text{Personal Autonomy} \] which are protected under Article 21.

Step 3: Analyze the remaining options. Option (A): Kesavananda Bharati case is associated with: \[ \text{Basic Structure Doctrine} \] and not privacy. Option (B): Maneka Gandhi case expanded Article 21 but did not specifically declare privacy as a Fundamental Right. Option (D): Minerva Mills is associated with the balance between Fundamental Rights and Directive Principles. Hence all three options can be eliminated.

Step 4: Final conclusion. The landmark judgment that explicitly recognized privacy as a Fundamental Right was: \[ \boxed{\text{Justice K.S. Puttaswamy v. Union of India}} \] Therefore, \[ \boxed{\text{Option (C)}} \]