Examined on Constitution of India, Citizenship Act 1955, Indian Independence Act 1947. The Constitution as amended — Parts I–IV (Union, citizenship, fundamental rights, directive principles), IVA (duties), V Ch IV and VI Ch V (Supreme Court, High Courts), XIVA (tribunals), XVII (official language), XIX and XXII.
This page is the map of the paper: every syllabus unit, the leading cases with full summaries, and the exam questions the paper actually sets.
Units
- Unit 1 · Philosophy, History, Preamble, Salient Features and Citizenship — Module 1 — constitutionalism and rule of law; East India Company and Crown rule; the freedom struggle to the Indian Independence Act 1947; the Constituent Assembly; the Preamble; salient features; Part II and the Citizenship Act 1955
- Unit 2 · Fundamental Rights I: State, Judicial Review, Equality, Freedoms, Life and Liberty — Module 2 — Articles 12 and 13 with the doctrines of eclipse, severability and waiver; Articles 14–18; Article 19; Articles 20 and 22; Articles 21 and 21A
- Unit 3 · Fundamental Rights II: Exploitation, Religion, Minorities, Remedies and Savings — Module 3 — Articles 23–24; Articles 25–28; Articles 29–30; Article 32 and public interest litigation; Articles 31, 33, 34 and 35
- Unit 4 · Directive Principles, Fundamental Duties, the Judiciary and Other Provisions — Module 4 — Part IV and its relationship with Part III; Part IVA; the Supreme Court and High Courts; tribunals; official languages; Parts XIX and XXII
Leading cases in this paper
- Kesavananda Bharati v State of Kerala (Supreme Court, 1973) — Parliament may amend any provision, but not the basic structure — Unit 1
- In re Berubari Union (Supreme Court, 1960) — the Preamble is a key, not a source of power; territory is ceded by amendment, not by an Article 3 law — Unit 1
- S.R. Bommai v Union of India (Supreme Court, 1994) — the Preamble's strong Centre, the federal character, and the limits on President's rule — Unit 1
- Pradeep Kumar Biswas v Indian Institute of Chemical Biology (Supreme Court, 2002) — the test for "other authorities" under Article 12 — Unit 2
- Keshavan Madhava Menon v State of Bombay (Supreme Court, 1951) — Article 13(1) is prospective — Unit 2
- Bhikaji Narain Dhakras v State of Madhya Pradesh (Supreme Court, 1955) — the doctrine of eclipse — Unit 2
- State of West Bengal v Anwar Ali Sarkar (Supreme Court, 1952) — the test of reasonable classification — Unit 2
- E.P. Royappa v State of Tamil Nadu (Supreme Court, 1973) — equality as a guarantee against arbitrariness — Unit 2
- Indra Sawhney v Union of India (Supreme Court, 1992) — the Mandal Commission case — Unit 2
- M. Nagaraj v Union of India (2006) and Jarnail Singh v Lachhmi Narain Gupta (2018) — reservation in promotion after Indra Sawhney — Unit 2
- Bennett Coleman & Co. v Union of India (Supreme Court, 1972) — the newsprint policy and freedom of the press — Unit 2
- Shreya Singhal v Union of India (Supreme Court, 2015) — section 66A and speech on the internet — Unit 2
- Maneka Gandhi v Union of India (Supreme Court, 1978) — "procedure established by law" must be fair, just and reasonable — Unit 2
- Justice K.S. Puttaswamy (Retd.) v Union of India (Supreme Court, 2017) — privacy is a fundamental right
- D.K. Basu v State of West Bengal (Supreme Court, 1997) — the eleven requirements on arrest and custody — Unit 2
- Chintaman Rao v State of Madhya Pradesh (Supreme Court, 1950) — what makes a restriction "reasonable" — Unit 2
Exam questions
- Constitutional Law I exam question: "The Preamble is the key to… · 10 marks
- Constitutional Law I exam question: "A came to India from Burma… · 10 marks
- Constitutional Law I exam question: A cricket board, registered as a… · 10 marks
- Constitutional Law I exam question: A 1948 provincial law allowed the… · 10 marks
- Constitutional Law I exam question: A State provides 60 per cent… · 10 marks
- Constitutional Law I exam question: "Article 21 has travelled from a… · 10 marks