Constitutional Law- I

Course Instructors- Dr. Niraj Kumar

I. Introduction and Objectives: The Constitutional Law-I intends to initiate

undergraduate students into studies of various theoretical and practical aspects of
Constitutional law in India. Constitution is the fundamental document and is source of
all powers, limitations and duties of State. This course aims to orient students towards
deeper appreciation of various aspects of study of the constitution through case law.
We are expected to raise questions like; what one means by higher law, are constitutions
written on tabula rasa, originalism and living document, writing of constitutions in post-
colonial societies etc.

II. Course Structure:

The course will cover the following broad topics:

1. Introduction: The Framing of India’s Constitution

2. Constitutional Theory: Constitutionalism, Sovereign, State, Judicial review.
3. Part II: Citizenship
4. Part III: Fundamental Rights
5. Part IV: Directive Principles of State Policy

III. Pedagogy

The course would be essentially pursuing case study approach. It would include expository and
critical approach. The attempt would be made to situate it in contemporary discourse to bring
theories and concepts in sharp relief. The case laws would be supplemented by scholarly
writings in relevant areas.

IV. Reading

Prescribed Text: The Constitution of India, 1950

Prescribed Books:

1. H.M. Seervai, Constitutional Law of India (4th ed., Vol 1 (1991), Vol. 2 (1993), Vol.
3 (1996)
2. M.P. Jain, Indian Constitutional Law (8th ed., 2018)
3. Mahendra Pal Singh, V. N. Shukla’s Constitution of India (13th ed., 2017)
4. D.D. Basu, Shorter Constitution of India (15th ed., 2018)
5. Udai Raj Rai, Fundamental Rights and their Enforcement (2011)

Recommended Books:

1. Granville Austin, The Indian Constitution: Cornerstone of a Nation (1966)

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2. Zoya Hasan et al., India’s Living Constitution: Ideas, Practices, Controversies (1
edn., 2002)
3. B. Shiva Rao, The Framing of India’s Constitution – Select Documents (1967)
4. Report of the Commission on Centre – State Relations (Sarkaria Commission) (1987)
5. Report of the National Commission to Review the Working of the Constitution (2002)
6. Report of the Commission on Centre-State Relations (M.M. Punchhi Commission)
(2010)
7. B. N. Kirpal et. al., Supreme But Not Infallible: Essays in the Honour of the Supreme
Court of India (2000)
8. S. Choudhary, M Khosla and PB Mehta, The Oxford Handbook of the Indian
Constitution (1st ed. , 2016)
9. Rohit De, A People’s Constitution: The Everyday Life of Law in the Indian Republic,
Princeton University Press, 2018
10. Aakash Singh Rathore, Ambedkar’s Preamble: A Secret History of the Constitution
of India, Penguin 2020

V. Evaluation Scheme
As per the examination department circular.

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 Module- 1:

Introduction and the making of the Constitution of India Part I

What is a Constitution?

Essential Readings

• Hanna Fenichel Pitkin, “The Idea of a Constitution”, 37 Journal of Legal Education

167 (1987).
• Graham Maddox, “A Note on the Meaning of `Constitution'”, The American Political
Science Review, Dec. 1982, Vol. 76, No. 4 (Dec. 1982), pp. 805-809.

Recommended Reading

• Dario Castiglione, “The Political Theory of the Constitution”, Political Studies

(1996), XLIV, 417-435.
• Sadat Hasan Manto, New Constitution.

Part II

Constitution-making process in India

Essential Readings

• Sandipto Dasgupta; “A Language Which Is Foreign to Us”: Continuities and Anxieties

in the Making of the Indian Constitution. Comparative Studies of South Asia, Africa
and the Middle East 1 August 2014; 34 (2): 228–242,
https://doi.org/10.1215/1089201X-2773815
• Arvind Elangovan, "The Making of the Indian Constitution: A Case for a Non‐
nationalist Approach." 12 History Compass 10 (2014).

Recommended Readings

• Chapters 1, 3, and 8 in Udit Bhatia (ed.), The Indian constituent assembly:

Deliberations on democracy (Taylor & Francis 2017).

Module- 2: Constitutional Theory

• Martin Loughlin, “Constitutional theory: A 25th anniversary essay”, 25 Oxford

Journal of Legal Studies 183-202 (2005).
• W. Waluchow, Constitutionalism in The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
(Spring 2018) available at
https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/spr2018/entries/constitutionalism

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 Module- 3:
Citizenship (Article 5-11)
Topics:

• Citizenship at the Commencement of the Constitution (Art. 5)

• Rights of citizenship of certain persons who have migrated to India from Pakistan (Art.
6)
• Citizenship of certain migrants to Pakistan (Art. 7)
• Rights of citizenship of certain persons of Indian origin residing outside India (Art. 8)
• Persons voluntarily acquiring citizenship of a foreign State not to be citizens (Art. 9)
• Continuance of the rights of citizenship (Art. 10)
• Parliament to regulate the right of citizenship by law (Art. 11)
• The Citizenship Act, 1955; Citizenship Amendment Act, 2003; Citizenship
(Amendment) Act, 2019

1. Central Bank of India vs Ram Narain, 1955 AIR 36

2. DP Joshi Vs State of Madhya Bharat AIR 1955 SC 334
3. Dr. Pradeep Jain Etc. V Union of India , 1984 AIR 1420
4. Lal Babu Hussein & Others vs Electoral Registration Officer & Others, 1995
AIR1189
5. Ebrahim Vazir Mavat v State of Bombay, AIR 1954 SC 229

Module-4:
Fundamental Rights (State and Code of Equality)

Topic:

• ‘State’ under Article 12

• ‘Law’ under Article 13
• Right to Equality (Article 14-18): Concepts, Reasonable Classification and non-
Arbitrariness
• Prohibition of Discrimination Under Article 15
• Equality of Opportunity in Matters of Public Employment

1. Seervai , H.M., Fundamental Rights-General Considerations: “the State” and

“Fundamental Rights”, [4th ed., Vol. 1 (1991), Constitutional Law of India. PP.
349-399.
2. Som Prakash v. Union of India, AIR 1981 SC 212 : (1981) 1 SCC 449
3. Pradeep Kumar Biswas v. Indian Institute of Chemical Biology (2002) 5 SCC 111
4. Zee Telefilms Ltd. v. Union of India (2005) 4 SCC 649
5. Keshavan Madhava Menon v. State of Bombay, AIR 1955 SC 128 : 1951 SCR 228
6. State of Gujarat v. Sri Ambika Mills, AIR 1974 SC 1300: (1974) 4 SCC 656
7. Bhikaji Narain Dhhakras v. State of M. P. (1955) 2SCR 589
8. Common Couse v. UOI (March) 2018
9. RMDC v. Union of India, AIR 1957 SC 628
10. Kathi Raning Rawat v. State of Saurashtra, AIR 1952 SC 123
11. EP Royyappa v. State of Tamil Nadu, (1974) 4 SCC 3

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 12. Indra Sawhney v. Union of India, AIR 1993 SC 477
13. Janhit Abhiyan v. Union of India, 2022 SCC Online SC 1540
14. Ashoka Kumar Thakur v. Union of India (2008) 6 SCC 1
15. M. Nagraj v. Union of India (2006) 8 SCC 212
16. Jarnail Singh v. Lachhmi Narain Gupta 2018 SCC 1641
17. BK Pavitra v. Union of India [AIR 2019 SC 2723]
18. Pramati Educational & Cultural Trust v. Union of India (2014) 8 SCC 1
19. Ram Singh v. Union of India (2015) 4SCC 697
20. Modern Dental College & Res. Cen v. State of Madhya Pradesh (2016) 7 SCC 353
21. State of Karnataka v. Appa Balu Ingale AIR 1993 SC 1126
22. Safai Karmachari Andolan v. Union of India,

Module-5 :
Right to Freedoms (Articles 19 - 22)

Topic

• Right to Freedoms (Article 19)

• Protection in respect of conviction for offences (Article 20)
• Protection of life and personal liberty (Article 21)
• Right to Education (Article 21A)
• Protection Against Arrest and Detention (Article 22)

1. Bennett Coleman & Co. v. Union of India, AIR 1973 SC 106

2. Secretary, Ministry of I & B, State of W. B v. Cricket Association(1995) 2 SCC
161
3. Shreya Singhal v. Union of India (2013)12 SCC 73
4. Smt. Selvi and Ors. v. State of Karnataka, AIR 2010 SC 1974
5. Maneka Gandhi v. Union of India, AIR 1978 SC 597
6. K. S. Puttaswamy v. Union of India (2017) 10 SCC 1
7. National Legal Services Authority v. Union of India, (2014) 5 SCC 438
8. Navtej Johar v. Union of India, (2018) 10 SCC 1
9. Animal Welfare Board Of India v. A. Nagaraja & Ors.(2014) 7 SCC 547
10. Indian Young Lawyers Association v. State of Kerala. (2019) 11 SCC 1
11. Anuradha Bhasin v. Union of India, (2020) 3 SCC 637.
12. Shatrughan Chauhan v. Union of India, (2014) 3 SCC 1

Module-6 :
Rights against Exploitation (Arts. 23- 24)

Topics:

• Rights against exploitation and forced labour (Art.23)

• Right against employment of children in factories etc. (Art.24)
• Concept of ‘Social Justice’
• The Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2016

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 1. Jeeja Ghosh v. Union of India, (2016) 7 SCC 761
2. Peoples Union for Democratic Rights v. Union of India, AIR 1982 SC1943.
3. Sanjit Roy v. State of Rajasthan, AIR 1983 SC 328.
4. Deena v. Union of India, AIR 1983 SC 1155.
5. Bandhua Mukti Morcha v. Union of India, AIR 1984 SC 802.
6. State v. Banwari, AIR 1951 All. 615
7. Dulal Samanta v. D.M., Howrah, AIR 1958 Cal. 365
8. People’s Union for Democratic Rights v. Union of India, AIR 1983 SC 1473
9. M.C. Mehta v. State of Tamil Nadu, AIR 1997 SC 699

Module-7:
Right to Freedom of Religion (Arts. 25-28)

Topics:

• Freedom of conscience and free profession, practice and propagation of religion (Art.
25)
• Freedom to manage religious affairs (Art. 26)
• Freedom as to payment of taxes for promotion of any particular religion (Art. 27)
• Freedom as to attendance at religious instruction or religious worship in certain
educational institutions (Art. 28)

1. Lily Thomas v. Union of India, (2000) 6 SCC 224

2. Commr. H.R.E. v. Sri Shirur Mutt, AIR 1954 SC 282
3. Rev. Stanislaus v. State of M.P., (1977) 1 SCC 677
4. Commr. of Police v. Acharya Jagdishwarananda, (2004) 12 SCC 770
5. State of Gujarat v. Mirzapur Moti Kureshi, (2005) 8 SCC 534
6. M Ismail Faruqui v. Union of India, AIR 1995 SC 605
7. SR Bommai v UOI, AIR 1994 SC 1918
8. TMA Pai Foundation v State of Karnataka, AIR 2003 SC 355
9. Islamic Academy of Education v State of Karnataka, AIR 2003 SC 3724
10. P.A. Inamdar v State of Maharashtra, AIR 2005 SC 3226
11. State of Gujarat v Mirzapur Moti Kureshi Kassab Jamat, AIR 2006 SC 212
12. Modern Dental College and Research Centre v State of MP, (2016) 7 SCC
353

Module-8:
Cultural & Educational rights (Arts. 29-30)

Topics:

• Right to establish and administer educational institutions

• Minority & Non-minority Rights
• Degree of State control in aided and unaided educational institutions

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 • Art. 15 (5) and arts. 29-30
• Balancing Equality and Excellence in Higher Education : The Contribution of the
SC of India by P G Gayathri
• Between Regulation and Minority Educational Rights: Secularism and the Indian
Supreme Court by U Bhatia

1) State of Bombay v. Bombay Education Society AIR 1954 SC 561

2) DAV College v. State of Punjab AIR 1971 SC 1737
3) St. Stephen’s College v. University of Delhi(1992) 1 SCC 558
4) T.M.A Pai Foundation v. State of Karnataka AIR 2003 SC 355
5) Ahmedabad St. Xavier’s College Society v. State of Gujarat, (1974) 1 SCC
717
6) P.A. Inamdar v. State of Maharashtra, (2005) 6 SCC 537
7) Ashoka Kumar Thakur v. Union of India, (2008) 6 SCC 1
8) Society for Unaided Private Schools v. Union of India, (2012) 6 SCC
9) Pramati Educational and Cultural Trust v. Union of India, (2014) 8 SCC 1,
259

Module-9
Directive Principles of State Policy (Part-IV) & Fundamental Duties (Part-IV-A)

Topics:

• Relationship between Fundamental Rights (Part-III) and Directive Principles of State

Policy (Part-IV)
• Scope and significance of Directive Principles of State Policy (Part-IV)
• Insertion and Relevance of Fundamental Duties (Part-IV-A)

1. State of Madras v. Champakam Dorairajan, AIR 1951 SC 226

2. Minerva Mills v. Union of India, AIR 1980 SC 1789
3. Ashoka Kumar Thakur v. Union of India, (2008) 6 SCC 1
4. Kesavananda Bharati v. State of Kerala, AIR 1973 SC 1461
5. Dalmia Cement (Bharat) Limited v. Union of India, (1996) 10 SCC 104
6. AIIMS Students’ Union v. AIIMS, (2002)1 SCC428
7. In re Punjab Termination of Agreement Act, 2004, (2017) 1 SCC 121
8. Common Cause v. Union of India, (2017) 7 SCC 158
9. In re Ramlila Maidan Incident, (2012) 5 SCC 1

The books, cases and readings mentioned are only indicative. Any further case law or research
article may be added to.