No.

Case Title Key Point / Doctrine Articles / Sections

Kesavananda Bharati v. State of
1 Basic Structure Doctrine Art. 368
Kerala
Expansive interpretation of Right
2 Maneka Gandhi v. Union of India Art. 21
to Life
Workplace sexual harassment Art. 14, 19(1)(g), 21 +
3 Vishaka v. State of Rajasthan
guidelines CEDAW
Olga Tellis v. Bombay Municipal
4 Right to livelihood = Right to life Art. 21
Corp.
Reservation cap (50%) + Creamy
5 Indra Sawhney v. Union of India Art. 16(4), 15(4)
Layer
Balance of Fundamental Rights &
6 Minerva Mills v. Union of India Art. 368
DPSP
7 State of West Bengal v. CPDR CBI probe without State consent Art. 226 + DSPE Act
Secularism & President’s Rule
8 S.R. Bommai v. Union of India Art. 356
limits
E.P. Royappa v. State of Tamil Equality = Reasonableness + Non-
9 Art. 14
Nadu Arbitrariness
10 A.K. Gopalan v. State of Madras Narrow view of Art. 21 Art. 21
M.C. Mehta v. Union of India Absolute liability for hazardous
11 Art. 21
(Oleum Gas) industry
M.C. Mehta v. Union of India
12 Environment protection via PIL Art. 21
(Ganga Pollution)
L. Chandra Kumar v. Union of
13 Tribunals subject to HC/SC review Art. 323A/B
India
Navtej Singh Johar v. Union of
14 Decriminalization of Sec. 377 IPC Art. 14, 15, 19, 21
India
Adultery (Sec. 497 IPC)
15 Joseph Shine v. Union of India Art. 14
unconstitutional
Arrest guidelines (Sec. 498A IPC Art. 21 + Sec. 41A
16 Arnesh Kumar v. State of Bihar
misuse) CrPC
Right to die with dignity (Passive
17 Common Cause v. Union of India Art. 21
euthanasia)
18 Shreya Singhal v. Union of India Sec. 66A IT Act struck down Art. 19(1)(a)
Mohd. Ahmed Khan v. Shah Muslim woman’s maintenance
19 Art. 14
Bano Begum under Sec. 125 CrPC
Union Carbide v. Union of India
20 Mass tort liability & compensation Art. 21
(Bhopal Gas)
I.R. Coelho v. State of Tamil 9th Schedule laws subject to Art. 31B + Basic
21
Nadu judicial review Structure
K.S. Puttaswamy v. Union of
22 Right to privacy recognized Art. 14, 19, 21
India (Privacy Case)
23 Union of India v. Association for Right to know candidates' records Art. 19(1)(a)
No. Case Title Key Point / Doctrine Articles / Sections
Democratic Reforms
24 PUCL v. Union of India Telephone tapping guidelines Art. 21
25 Vineet Narain v. Union of India CBI & CVC autonomy guidelines Rule of law
Delhi Judicial Service Assn. v.
26 Protection of judicial officers Art. 50
State of Gujarat
Subramanian Swamy v. Union of
27 Criminal defamation upheld Art. 19(2)
India
Art. 329, Free & fair
28 Indira Gandhi v. Raj Narain Election laws & Basic Structure
elections
Disqualification of convicted
29 Lily Thomas v. Union of India Art. 102 + RP Act
MPs/MLAs
State of Punjab v. Jagdev Singh
30 Contempt of Court powers Art. 129, 215
Talwandi
Rupa Ashok Hurra v. Ashok
31 Curative petition concept Art. 137
Hurra
32 Gian Kaur v. State of Punjab No right to die Art. 21
33 Bachan Singh v. State of Punjab Death penalty – rarest of rare Art. 21
34 Mithu v. State of Punjab Sec. 303 IPC struck down Art. 21
Parmanand Katara v. Union of
35 Right to emergency medical aid Art. 21
India
36 NALSA v. Union of India Rights of transgender persons Art. 14, 15, 21
37 Rajesh Sharma v. State of UP Prevent misuse of Sec. 498A IPC Art. 21
38 R.K. Jain v. Union of India Tribunals & judicial independence Art. 323A/B
D.K. Basu v. State of West
39 Arrest/detention guidelines Art. 21
Bengal
40 Shabnam v. Union of India Delay in mercy petition cases Art. 21
41 Union of India v. R. Gandhi Tribunal independence clarified Art. 323A/B
Use of Parliamentary Committee
42 Kalpana Mehta v. Union of India Parliamentary privilege
reports
Maintainability of revision under
43 Madhu Limaye v. SDM Monghyr Sec. 397(2) CrPC
CrPC
Natural justice in administrative
44 A.K. Kraipak v. Union of India Art. 14
action
Nuclear plant clearance &
45 G. Sundarrajan v. Union of India Art. 21
environmental safety
Balaji Raghavan v. Union of
46 National Awards not titles Art. 18
India
Mafatlal Industries v. Union of Tax refunds & unjust enrichment
47 Excise law
India doctrine
K.S. Puttaswamy v. Union of
48 Aadhaar upheld with safeguards Art. 21 + Privacy
India (Aadhaar)
No. Case Title Key Point / Doctrine Articles / Sections
Jarnail Singh v. Lachhmi Narain
49 Creamy layer in SC/ST promotions Art. 16(4A)
Gupta
50 Ritesh Sinha v. State of UP Compelling voice sample valid Art. 20(3)

No. Case Title Key Point / Doctrine Articles / Sections

51 Shayara Bano v. Union of India Triple talaq unconstitutional Art. 14, 15, 21
Parliament cannot amend
52 Golaknath v. State of Punjab Fundamental Rights (overruled Art. 368
later)
John Vallamattom v. Union of Christian personal law amendment
53 Art. 14
India (Sec. 118 Indian Succession Act)
State of Karnataka v. Appa Balu
54 Untouchability – SC/ST Protection Art. 17
Ingale
PUCL v. Union of India (Right
55 Right to food under Art. 21 Art. 21 + DPSP
to Food)
No fundamental right to privacy
56 M.P. Sharma v. Satish Chandra Art. 20(3)
(overruled by Puttaswamy)
CrPC + Judicial
57 A.R. Antulay v. R.S. Nayak Special court jurisdiction issue
fairness
Overruled Gopalan – fundamental
58 R.C. Cooper v. Union of India Art. 31, 19
rights test
Bennett Coleman v. Union of
59 Freedom of press upheld Art. 19(1)(a)
India
60 Prakash Singh v. Union of India Police reforms guidelines Art. 21
Mohd. Salim v. State of
61 Rivers as legal persons Environmental Law
Uttarakhand
62 Gian Chand v. State of Haryana Reaffirmed guidelines in DK Basu Art. 21
Bigamy under Hindu Marriage Act
63 Sarla Mudgal v. Union of India Art. 44 DPSP
– uniform civil code mention
Satwant Singh Sawhney v. D.
64 Right to travel abroad under Art. 21 Art. 21
Ramarathnam
Manohar Lal Sharma v.
65 Coal scam investigation upheld Art. 14 + Rule of law
Principal Secy.
Union of India v. V. Sriharan
66 President’s power under Art. 72 Art. 72, 161
(Rajiv Gandhi case)
67 Krishna Iyer v. State of Kerala Bail jurisprudence evolved CrPC
K.K. Kochunni v. State of Right to property + Zamindari
68 Art. 31
Madras abolition
Githa Hariharan v. Reserve Hindu Minority &
69 Guardianship rights of mother
Bank of India Guardianship Act
Indian Young Lawyers Assn. v.
70 Women’s entry in temples Art. 14, 25
State of Kerala (Sabarimala)
No. Case Title Key Point / Doctrine Articles / Sections
Surveillance case (partially
71 Kharak Singh v. State of UP Art. 21
overruled later)
Decriminalized Sec. 377 IPC
Naz Foundation v. Govt. of
72 (before SC reversed & then re- Art. 14, 15, 21
NCT of Delhi
allowed)
Rameshwar Prasad v. Union of Dissolution of Bihar Assembly
73 Art. 356
India struck down
74 Indra Das v. State of Assam Sedition law limited scope Art. 19(1)(a)
Limitation in filing compensation
75 Harish Chandra v. State of UP CrPC
claims
Indian Express Newspapers v. Freedom of press & import duty on
76 Art. 19(1)(a)
Union of India newsprint
Special Reference No. 1 of 1964
77 Privileges of legislature vs judiciary Art. 194, 211
(Keshav Singh’s case)
Service law + Principles of natural
78 Lily Kurian v. Sr. Lewina Art. 14
justice
79 Sita Ram v. State of UP Dowry death interpretation Sec. 304B IPC
Sunil Batra v. Delhi
80 Prisoners’ rights Art. 21
Administration
Tehseen S. Poonawalla v. Union
81 Mob lynching guidelines Art. 21
of India
Indira Jaising v. Supreme Court
82 Designation of senior advocates Art. 14
of India
Vellore Citizens Welfare Forum Precautionary + Polluter pays
83 Art. 21 + Environment
v. Union of India principle
Judges’ Transfer + Judicial
84 S.P. Gupta v. Union of India Art. 124, 217
appointments
85 Nandini Satpathy v. P.L. Dani Right to silence during interrogation Art. 20(3)
A.B. Bhaskara Rao v. Inspector
86 Test identification parade guidelines CrPC
of Police