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Q81 (IAS/2022) Polity & Governance â€ș Judiciary â€ș Contempt of court Official Key

Consider the following statements : 1. Pursuant to the report of H.N. Sanyal Committee, the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971 was passed. 2. The Constitution of India empowers the Supreme Court and the High Courts to punish for contempt of themselves. 3. The Constitution of India defines Civil Contempt and Criminal Contempt. 4. In India, the Parliament is vested with the powers to make laws on Contempt of Court. Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?

Result
Your answer: —  Â·  Correct: B
Explanation

The correct answer is Option 2 (1, 2 and 4) based on the following constitutional and legal provisions:

  • Statement 1 is correct: The Contempt of Courts Act, 1971 was enacted based on the recommendations of the H.N. Sanyal Committee, which examined the law relating to contempt to bring it in line with constitutional requirements.
  • Statement 2 is correct: Under Article 129 (for the Supreme Court) and Article 215 (for High Courts), the Constitution explicitly designates them as "Courts of Record" with the inherent power to punish for contempt of themselves.
  • Statement 4 is correct: The Parliament has the power to legislate on "Contempt of Court" under Entry 77 of the Union List and Entry 14 of the Concurrent List.
  • Statement 3 is incorrect: The Constitution does not define Civil or Criminal Contempt. These terms are defined under Section 2 of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971.
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Don’t just practise – reverse-engineer the question. This panel shows where this PYQ came from (books / web), how the examiner broke it into hidden statements, and which nearby micro-concepts you were supposed to learn from it. Treat it like an autopsy of the question: what might have triggered it, which exact lines in the book matter, and what linked ideas you should carry forward to future questions.
Q. Consider the following statements : 1. Pursuant to the report of H.N. Sanyal Committee, the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971 was passed. 2. T

At a glance
Origin: From standard books Fairness: High fairness Books / CA: 10/10 · 0/10
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This is a classic 'Static Polity' question solvable entirely from standard texts like Laxmikanth. It relies on the recurring 'Definition Trap'—claiming the Constitution defines a term when it is actually defined by a Statute. If you spot that Statement 3 is false (Constitution does not define Civil/Criminal contempt), the answer becomes obvious.

How this question is built

This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.

Statement 1
Was the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971 enacted in India pursuant to the report of the H.N. Sanyal Committee on contempt of courts?
Origin: Direct from books Fairness: Straightforward Book-answerable
From standard books
Laxmikanth, M. Indian Polity. 7th ed., McGraw Hill. > Chapter 26: Supreme Court > III A Court of Record > p. 293
Presence: 5/5
“This committee submitted its report in 1963. Based on the recommendations made by the committee, the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971 was enacted by the Parliament. Under the Act, the contempt of court may be civil or criminal. The civil contempt means wilful disobedience to any judgement, order, writ or other process of a court or wilful breach of an undertaking given to a court. However, in innocent publication and distribution of matter, fair and accurate report of judicial proceedings and fair criticism of judicial acts do not amount to contempt of court. Under the Act, a contempt of court is pun·ishable with simple imprisonment for a term up to six months or with fine up to â‚č2 OOO or with both.”
Why this source?
  • Explicitly states the committee submitted its report in 1963.
  • Says the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971 was enacted by Parliament based on the committee's recommendations.
  • Also describes the Act's classification of contempt (civil or criminal), linking the law to the committee's remit.
Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth(7th ed.) > Chapter 26: Supreme Court > III A Court of Record > p. 293
Presence: 5/5
“This committee submitted its report in 1963. Based on the recommendations made by the committee, the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971 was enacted by the Parliament. Under the Act, the contempt of court may be civil or criminal. The civil contempt means wilful disobedience to any judgement, order, writ or other process of a court or wilful breach of an undertaking given to a court. However, in nocent publication and distribution of matter, fair and accurate report of judicial proceedings and fair criticism of judicial acts do not amount to contempt of court. Under the Act, a contempt of court is pun·ishable with simple imprisonment for a term upto six months or with fine upto â‚č2 OOO or with both.”
Why this source?
  • Repeats that the committee's report led to the enactment of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971.
  • Provides supporting detail on the Act (definition of civil contempt and penalties), reinforcing the connection to the committee's recommendations.
Statement analysis

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Statement analysis

This statement analysis shows book citations, web sources and indirect clues. The first statement (S1) is open for preview.

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Statement analysis

This statement analysis shows book citations, web sources and indirect clues. The first statement (S1) is open for preview.

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