Question map
Which one of the following is not a writ ?
Explanation
Under the Indian Constitution, Articles 32 and 226 empower the Supreme Court and High Courts to issue five specific types of writs for the enforcement of fundamental rights [1][2]. These five writs are Habeas Corpus (to produce a detained person), Mandamus (to command a public official to perform a duty), Prohibition (to stop a lower court from exceeding jurisdiction), Certiorari (to quash an order of a lower court), and Quo-Warranto (to challenge the legality of a person holding public office). While Mandamus, Habeas Corpus, and Certiorari are recognized constitutional writs, 'Severability' is not a writ [1]. Instead, the Doctrine of Severability is a judicial principle used to invalidate only the unconstitutional portions of a law rather than the entire statute. Therefore, Severability does not belong to the category of judicial writs.
Sources
- [1] Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth(7th ed.) > Chapter 8: Fundamental Rights > WRITS-TYPES AND SCOPE > p. 98
- [2] Indian Constitution at Work, Political Science Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 2: RIGHTS IN THE INDIAN CONSTITUTION > RIGHT TO CONSTITUTIONAL REMEDIES > p. 41