Question map
Consider the following statements : 1. The Parliament of India can place a particular law in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution of India. 2. The validity of a law placed in the Ninth Schedule cannot be examined by any court and no judgement can be made on it. Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
Explanation
The correct answer is option A (Statement 1 only).
**Statement 1 is correct:** Article 31B along with the Ninth Schedule was added by the 1st Constitutional Amendment Act of 1951.[1] The Parliament has the constitutional power to add laws to the Ninth Schedule through constitutional amendments, as evidenced by the fact that originally (in 1951), the Ninth Schedule contained only 13 acts and regulations but at present their number is 282.[1]
**Statement 2 is incorrect:** While the Ninth Schedule was designed to protect laws from judicial review, this protection is not absolute. In the Kesavananda Bharati case (1973), the Supreme Court ruled that the acts and regulations that are included in the Ninth Schedule are open to challenge on the grounds of being violative of the basic structure of the constitution.[1] This position was reaffirmed when the court ruled that there could not be any blanket immunity from judicial review of the laws included in the Ninth Schedule. It held that judicial review is a 'basic feature' of the constitution and it could not be taken away by putting a law under the Ninth Schedule.[2]
Therefore, only Statement 1 is correct.
Sources- [1] Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth(7th ed.) > Chapter 27: Judicial Review > JUDICIAL REVIEW OF THE NINTH SCHEDULE > p. 299
- [2] Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth(7th ed.) > Chapter 8: Fundamental Rights > F Validation of Certain Acts and Regulations > p. 103
PROVENANCE & STUDY PATTERN
Guest previewThis is a classic 'Static Polity' question derived directly from the evolution of the Basic Structure doctrine. It tests the I.R. Coelho (2007) judgment, which is a staple in standard texts like Laxmikanth. If you understand that Judicial Review is part of the Basic Structure, Statement 2 becomes obviously false.
This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.
- Statement 1: Can the Parliament of India place a particular law in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution of India?
- Statement 2: Is the validity of a law placed in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution of India immune from judicial review, i.e., cannot be examined by any court or be subject to any judgment?
- Explicitly states Article 31B saves acts/regulations included in the Ninth Schedule from challenge.
- Notes that acts/regulations of Parliament are among those included in the Ninth Schedule (i.e., Parliamental enactments have been placed there).
- Identifies Ninth Schedule as a mechanism created by constitutional amendment (1st Amendment) to shelter specified laws.
- Describes the Seventeenth Amendment (1964) as having inserted certain state acts in the Ninth Schedule — showing constitutional amendments were used to place laws into the Schedule.
- Explains Parliament's legislative response (24th Amendment) to court rulings, indicating Parliament exercises amendment power affecting Ninth Schedule entries.
- I.R. Coelho (2007) holding: there is no blanket immunity for Ninth Schedule laws — courts retain judicial review.
- Clarifies that while laws are placed in the Ninth Schedule, their protection is subject to the 'basic feature' doctrine (i.e., placement is not absolute).
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