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Q56 (CDS-II/2009) Polity & Governance › Judiciary › Public interest litigation Answer Verified

Which one of the following jurisdictions of the Indian Judiciary covers Public Interest Litigation?

Result
Your answer: —  Â·  Correct: C
Explanation

Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in India is primarily associated with Epistolary Jurisdiction. This specific jurisdiction allows the Supreme Court and High Courts to treat a simple letter or postcard addressed to the court as a formal writ petition, relaxing the traditional rule of locus standi [t1][t8]. While PILs are technically filed under the court's original writ jurisdiction (Article 32 for the Supreme Court and Article 226 for High Courts) to enforce fundamental rights [t5][t7], the term 'Epistolary Jurisdiction' specifically describes the procedural innovation where the judiciary acts on informal communications to protect the interests of the disadvantaged [t1][t4]. This was pioneered by Justices P.N. Bhagwati and V.R. Krishna Iyer to ensure access to justice [t4][t8]. In contrast, original jurisdiction typically refers to federal disputes [c1], appellate to lower court appeals [c2], and advisory to presidential references [t2].

Sources

  1. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_interest_litigation_in_India
  2. [2] Indian Constitution at Work, Political Science Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 6: JUDICIARY > Original Jurisdiction > p. 132
  3. [3] Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth(7th ed.) > Chapter 26: Supreme Court > INDIAN AND AMERICAN SUPREME COURTS COMPARED > p. 295
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SIMILAR QUESTIONS

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