Constitutional Law — Quick Reference
Covers both Constitutional Law and Criminal Law, per the split established across this technology's other sections.
Fundamental Rights — quick map
|---|---|
| 14 | Equality before law |
|---|
| 19 | Six freedoms (speech, assembly, association, movement, residence, profession) |
| 20 | Protection re: conviction (no ex-post-facto, no double jeopardy, no self-incrimination) |
| 21 | Right to life and personal liberty (expanded post-Maneka Gandhi) |
| 21A | Right to education |
| 22 | Protection against arrest and detention |
| 25–28 | Freedom of religion |
| 32 | Right to constitutional remedies ("heart and soul") |
The five writs
|---|---|---|
| Habeas Corpus | Produce the body | Illegal detention |
|---|
| Mandamus | We command | Compel public duty |
| Prohibition | Forbid | Stop court exceeding jurisdiction |
| Certiorari | To be certified | Quash inferior court's order |
| Quo Warranto | By what authority | Challenge holding of public office |
Basic Structure — key cases at a glance
|---|---|---|
| Kesavananda Bharati | 1973 | Established the doctrine itself |
|---|
| Indira Gandhi v. Raj Narain | 1975 | Free/fair elections are basic structure |
| Minerva Mills | 1980 | Limited amending power is itself basic structure |
| S.R. Bommai | 1994 | Federalism is basic structure; restricted Art 356 misuse |
| I.R. Coelho | 2007 | Ninth Schedule laws (post-1973) still subject to review |
Amendment majorities (Article 368)
|---|---|
| Simple majority | Ordinary bills under Art 5, 169, etc. |
|---|
| Special majority (2/3 present+voting, majority of total strength) | Most amendments |
| Special + State ratification (½ states) | Federal provisions — Lists, President's election, SC/HC jurisdiction |
Emergency provisions
|---|---|---|
| National Emergency | 352 | War / external aggression / armed rebellion |
|---|
| President's Rule | 356 | Constitutional machinery failure in a State |
| Financial Emergency | 360 | Threat to financial stability (never invoked) |
Criminal law — old to new Act mapping
|---|---|
| Indian Penal Code (IPC) 1860 | Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 2023 |
|---|
| Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) | Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) |
| Indian Evidence Act, 1872 | Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA) |
(needs verification — recheck against current source: BNS/BNSS/BSA section numbering is periodically clarified/amended; confirm exact section numbers against the current bare act before an exam, don't rely on this table for exact numbering.)
Bail types — quick distinction
|---|---|---|
| Regular | After arrest | Court discretion, case merits |
|---|
| Anticipatory | Before arrest | Apprehension of arrest, BNSS S.482 |
| Default/statutory | Chargesheet delay | Automatic right — 60 or 90 days depending on offence |
Legislative lists (Seventh Schedule)
| List | Subjects | Example entries |
|---|
|---|---|---|
| Union (List I) | 98 subjects | Defence, foreign affairs, railways, currency |
|---|
| State (List II) | 59 subjects | Police, public order, agriculture, public health |
| Concurrent (List III) | 52 subjects | Education, forests, marriage, electricity |
Conflict on Concurrent List → Union law prevails (Art 254) unless State law has Presidential assent.
