{"id":335966,"date":"2024-11-25T19:00:24","date_gmt":"2024-11-25T13:30:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/?p=335966"},"modified":"2024-11-30T15:25:05","modified_gmt":"2024-11-30T09:55:05","slug":"socialist-secular-insertion-of-in-the-preamble-constitutional-amendment-challenge-sc-legal-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2024\/11\/25\/socialist-secular-insertion-of-in-the-preamble-constitutional-amendment-challenge-sc-legal-news\/","title":{"rendered":"SC dismisses petitions challenging insertion of \u201csocialist\u201d and \u201csecular\u201d in the Preamble via 42nd Constitutional Amendment"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>\n.animate-charcter{background-image: linear-gradient(-225deg, #231557 0%, #44107a 29%, #ff1361 67%, #fff800 100%); background-size: 200% auto; -webkit-background-clip: text; -webkit-text-fill-color: transparent; animation: textclip 5s linear infinite;}\n@keyframes textclip {to {background-position: 200% center;}}\n<\/style>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify; line-height: 150%;\">\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 3%;\"><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Supreme Court:<\/span> While considering the writ petitions challenging the insertion of &#8216;<span style=\"font-style: italic;\">socialist<\/span>&#8217; and &#8216;<span style=\"font-style: italic;\">secular<\/span>&#8217; in the Preamble to the Constitution by the Constitution (Forty-second Amendment) Act in 1976; the Division Bench of Sanjiv Khanna, CJ., and Sanjay Kumar, J., dismissed the petitions stating that there was no legitimate cause or justification for challenging this Constitutional Amendment after nearly 44 years. The Court further said that the words &#8220;socialist&#8221; and &#8220;secular&#8221; terms have achieved widespread acceptance with their meanings understood by &#8220;<span style=\"font-style: italic;\">We, the people of India<\/span>&#8221; without any semblance of doubt. Furthermore, the additions to the Preamble have not restricted or impeded legislations or policies pursued by elected governments, provided such actions did not infringe upon fundamental and constitutional rights or the basic structure of the Constitution.<\/p>\n<h3>Background:<\/h3>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 3%;\">The challenge to the insertion of &#8220;socialist&#8221; and &#8220;secular&#8221; in the Preamble was made on several grounds. It was contended that retrospectivity of the insertion in 1976, resulted in falsity as the Constitution was adopted on the 26-11-1949; the word &#8216;secular&#8217; was deliberately eschewed by the Constituent Assembly, and the word &#8216;socialist&#8217; fetters and restricts the economic policy choice vesting in the elected government, which represents the will of the people.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 3%;\">It was further submitted that the 42<span style=\"vertical-align: super;\">nd<\/span> Amendment is unconstitutional as it was &#8216;passed&#8217; during the Emergency in 2-11-1976, after the normal tenure of the Lok Sabha that had ended on 18-3-1976; therefore, there was no will of the people to sanction the amendments.<\/p>\n<h3>Court&#8217;s Assessment:<\/h3>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 3%;\">At the very outset, the Court clarified that the instant petitions did not require detailed adjudication as the flaws and weaknesses in the arguments are obvious and manifest.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 2%;\">The Court stated that &#8216;secular&#8217; and &#8216;socialist&#8217; and &#8216;integrity&#8217; were inserted in the Preamble vide the Constitution (Forty-second Amendment) Act, 1976. Article <a href=\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/DocumentLink.aspx?q=JTXT-0001575205\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">368<\/a> of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/DocumentLink.aspx?q=JTXT-0002726967\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Constitution<\/a> permits amendment of the Constitution; the power to amend unquestionably rests with the Parliament and this amending power extends to the Preamble. Amendments to the Constitution can be challenged on various grounds, including violation of the basic structure of the Constitution.<\/p>\n<p class=\"animate-charcter\" style=\"margin-bottom: 3%; margin-left: 36pt; font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;\">&#8220;The fact that the Constitution was adopted, enacted, and given to themselves by the people of India on the 26th day of November 1949, does not make any difference. The date of adoption will not curtail or restrict the power under Article <a href=\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/DocumentLink.aspx?q=JTXT-0001575205\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">368<\/a> of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/DocumentLink.aspx?q=JTXT-0002726967\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Constitution<\/a>&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 3%;\">The retrospectivity argument, if accepted, would equally apply to amendments made to any part of the Constitution, though the power of the Parliament to do so under Article 368 is incontrovertible and is not challenged.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 2%;\">The Court further said that it is true that the Constituent Assembly had not agreed to include the words &#8216;socialist&#8217; and &#8216;secular&#8217; in the Preamble. The Constitution is a living document, with power given to the Parliament to amend it in terms of and in accordance with Article 368. The Court stated that in 1949, the word &#8216;secular&#8217; was considered imprecise, as some scholars and jurists had interpreted it as being opposed to religion.<\/p>\n<p class=\"animate-charcter\" style=\"margin-bottom: 3%; margin-left: 36pt; font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;\">&#8220;Over time, India has developed its own interpretation of secularism, wherein the State neither supports any religion nor penalizes the profession and practice of any faith&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 3%;\">The Court further highlighted that the Preamble&#8217;s original tenets, i.e., equality of status and opportunity; fraternity, ensuring individual dignity, read alongside justice &#8211; social, economic political, and liberty; of thought, expression, belief, faith, and worship, reflect this secular ethos.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 2%;\">The Court further added that several landmark precedents like <span style=\"font-style: italic;\">Kesavananda Bharati<\/span> v. <span style=\"font-style: italic;\">State of Kerala<\/span>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.scconline.com\/DocumentLink\/BfZ93jnr\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">(1973) 4 SCC 225<\/a> and <span style=\"font-style: italic;\">S.R Bommai<\/span> v. <span style=\"font-style: italic;\">Union of India<\/span>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.scconline.com\/DocumentLink\/o26TYy63\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">(1994) 3 SCC 1<\/a>, have observed that secularism is a basic feature of the Constitution. In the past the Court through its decisions had elucidated that although the term &#8216;secular&#8217; was not present in the Constitution before its insertion in the Preamble by the Constitution (Forty-second Amendment) Act, 1976, secularism essentially represents the nation&#8217;s commitment to treat persons of all faiths equally and without discrimination.<\/p>\n<p class=\"animate-charcter\" style=\"margin-bottom: 3%; margin-left: 36pt; font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;\">&#8220;In essence, the concept of secularism represents one of the facets of the right to equality, intricately woven into the basic fabric that depicts the constitutional scheme&#8217;s pattern&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 2%;\">Moving onto the expression &#8220;socialist&#8221;, the Court stated that the word &#8216;socialism&#8217;, in the Indian context should not be interpreted as restricting the economic policies of an elected government. Neither the Constitution nor the Preamble mandates a specific economic policy or structure, whether left or right. <span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Rather<\/span>, <span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">&#8216;socialist&#8217; denotes the State&#8217;s commitment to be a welfare State and its commitment to ensuring equality of opportunity<\/span>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"animate-charcter\" style=\"margin-bottom: 3%; margin-left: 36pt; font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;\">&#8220;India has consistently embraced a mixed economy model, where the private sector has flourished, expanded, and grown over the years, contributing significantly to the upliftment of marginalized and underprivileged sections in different ways&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 3%;\">The Court pointed out that in the Indian framework, socialism embodies the principle of economic and social justice, wherein the State ensures that no citizen is disadvantaged due to economic or social circumstances. The word &#8216;socialism&#8217; reflects the goal of economic and social upliftment and does not restrict private entrepreneurship and the right to business and trade, a fundamental right under Article <a href=\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/DocumentLink.aspx?q=JTXT-0001574926\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">19(1)(g)<\/a> of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/DocumentLink.aspx?q=JTXT-0002726967\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Constitution<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 3%;\">The Court further pointed out that during the deliberations over 44<span style=\"vertical-align: super;\">th<\/span> Constitutional Amendment in 1978, &#8220;socialist&#8221; and &#8220;secular&#8221; came under scrutiny as the terms were added during Emergency. However, the word &#8216;secular&#8217; was explained as denoting a republic that upholds equal respect for all religions, while &#8216;socialist&#8217; was characterized as representing a republic dedicated to eliminating all forms of exploitation&#8212;whether social, political, or economic.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 3%;\">Pointing out its recent decision in <span style=\"font-style: italic;\">Property Owners Assn. v. State of Maharashtra<\/span>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.scconline.com\/DocumentLink\/W9794pFI\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">2024 SCC OnLine SC 3122<\/a>, the Court noted that all doubt and ambiguity have been cleared in this judgment wherein it was held that the Constitution, as framed in broad terms, allows the elected government to adopt a structure for economic governance which would sub-serve the policies for which it is accountable to the electorate. Indian economy has transitioned from the dominance of public investment to the co-existence of public and private investment.<\/p>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 3%;\">The Court raised doubts vis-a-vis the instant writ petitions filed after 44 years of the 42<span style=\"vertical-align: super;\">nd<\/span> Amendment, especially when words &#8216;socialist&#8217; and &#8216;secular&#8217; have become integral to the Preamble. Hence, with the afore-stated assessment, the Court deemed it fit to dismiss the petitions stating that circumstances do not warrant the Court&#8217;s exercise of discretion to undertake an exhaustive examination, as <span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">the constitutional position remains unambiguous, negating the need for a detailed academic pronouncement<\/span>.<\/p>\n<p><!--\n\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 3%;\">[<span style=\"font-weight: bold; color: #632423;\">Dr Balram Singh v. Union of India, Writ Petition (Civil) No 645 of 2020, decided on 25-11-2024<\/span>]<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n<hr\/>\n\n\n\n\n<p>Advocates who appeared in this case :<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n<p style=\"margin-left: 18pt;\"><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Petitioners:<\/span> Petitioner-in-person; Mr. Gopal Shankarnarayanan, Sr. Adv. Mr. Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay, Adv. Mr. Ashwani Kumar Dubey, AOR Mr. Shourya Das Gupta, Adv. Ms. Tanya Shrivastava, Adv. Ms. Shreya Nair, Adv. Mr. Vishnu Shankar Jain, AOR Mr. Hari Shankar Jain, Adv. Mr. Parth Yadav, Adv. Ms. Mani Munjal, Adv. Ms. Marbiang Khongwir, Adv.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n<p style=\"margin-left: 18pt;\"><span style=\"font-weight: bold;\">Respondents:<\/span> Mr. Prateek Kumar, AOR Mr. Ruchir Ranjan Rai, Adv; Mr. Alakh Alok Srivastava, AOR Mr. Rishabh Bafna, Adv. Dr. G.V.rao, Sr. Adv. Mr. Bijan Kumar Ghosh, AOR Mr. Ujjwal Banerjee, Adv. Mr. Chand Qureshi, AOR Mr. Santi Ranjan, Adv. Mr. Rahul Mohod, Adv. Mr. Sanjay Gyan, Adv. Mr. Vijay Kumar, Adv. Mr. Chandan Kumar Mandal, Adv. Mr. Rochak Kharbanda, Adv. Dr. O.P. Kharbanda, Adv. Mr. Abid Ali Beeran, Adv. Mr. Sriram P., AOR Mr. Ms Vishnu Shankar, Adv. Mr. Aditya Santosh, Adv. Ms. Isha Singh, Adv. Ms. Anjali Singh, Adv. Mr. Nalukettil A S Nair, Adv. Ms. Maneesha Sunil, Adv. Mr. S Anbukrishnan, Adv.<\/p>\n\n--><\/p>\n<div style=\"text-overflow: ellipsis; background-color: #92A8D1; text-align:justify; clear:both; text-size-adjust: auto; overflow: auto;\">\n<p style=\"font-size: 18pt; margin-top: 5px; text-align: center;\">CASE DETAILS<\/p>\n<table width=\"100%\" style=\"word-wrap: break-word; border-collapse:collapse; table-layout: fixed; margin-top: 10px;\">\n<colgroup>\n<col width=\"41%\"\/>\n<col width=\"59%\"\/>\n<\/colgroup>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td valign=\"top\">\n<p><span style=\"color: #D4E4F7; font-weight: bold;\">Citation:<\/span><br \/><span style=\"color: #D4E4F7; font-size: 10pt;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.scconline.com\/DocumentLink\/odB523IL\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">2024 SCC OnLine SC 3433<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #D4E4F7; font-weight: bold;\">Appellants&#160;:<\/span><br \/> Dr Balram Singh<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #D4E4F7; font-weight: bold;\">Respondents&#160;:<\/span><br \/> Union of India<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td valign=\"top\">\n<p style=\"color: #D4E4F7; font-weight: bold;\">Advocates who appeared in this case<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #D4E4F7; font-weight: bold;\">For Petitioner(s):<\/span><br \/> Petitioner-in-person; Mr. Gopal Shankarnarayanan, Sr. Adv. Mr. Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay, Adv. Mr. Ashwani Kumar Dubey, AOR Mr. Shourya Das Gupta, Adv. Ms. Tanya Shrivastava, Adv. Ms. Shreya Nair, Adv. Mr. Vishnu Shankar Jain, AOR Mr. Hari Shankar Jain, Adv. Mr. Parth Yadav, Adv. Ms. Mani Munjal, Adv. Ms. Marbiang Khongwir, Adv.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #D4E4F7; font-weight: bold;\">For Respondent(s):<\/span><br \/> Mr. Prateek Kumar, AOR Mr. Ruchir Ranjan Rai, Adv; Mr. Alakh Alok Srivastava, AOR Mr. Rishabh Bafna, Adv. Dr. G.V.rao, Sr. Adv. Mr. Bijan Kumar Ghosh, AOR Mr. Ujjwal Banerjee, Adv. Mr. Chand Qureshi, AOR Mr. Santi Ranjan, Adv. Mr. Rahul Mohod, Adv. Mr. Sanjay Gyan, Adv. Mr. Vijay Kumar, Adv. Mr. Chandan Kumar Mandal, Adv. Mr. Rochak Kharbanda, Adv. Dr. O.P. Kharbanda, Adv. Mr. Abid Ali Beeran, Adv. Mr. Sriram P., AOR Mr. Ms Vishnu Shankar, Adv. Mr. Aditya Santosh, Adv. Ms. Isha Singh, Adv. Ms. Anjali Singh, Adv. Mr. Nalukettil A S Nair, Adv. Ms. Maneesha Sunil, Adv. Mr. S Anbukrishnan, Adv.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p style=\"font-size: 12pt; margin-top: -20px; margin-left: 5px;\"><span style=\"color: #D4E4F7; font-weight: bold;\">CORAM&#160;:<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"banner\" style=\"overflow: hidden; display: flex; justify-content: space-between; padding-left: 3%;\">\n<div class=\"\" style=\"max-width: 100%; max-height: 100%; font-size: 9pt; text-align: center;\">\n<p><a><img decoding=\"async\" height=\"100px\" width=\"100px\" src=\"https:\/\/www.scobserver.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/16.-Sanjiv_Khanna-modified.png\" alt=\"Sanjiv Khanna, CJ.\" style=\"border-radius: 50%;\"><br \/><span style=\"color: black !important;\">Sanjiv Khanna, CJ.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"\" style=\"max-width: 100%; max-height: 100%; font-size: 9pt; text-align: center;\">\n<p><a><img decoding=\"async\" height=\"100px\" width=\"100px\" src=\"https:\/\/www.scobserver.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/imageedit_23_3598949402-1.jpg\" alt=\"Sanjay Kumar, J.\" style=\"border-radius: 50%;\"><br \/><span style=\"color: black !important;\">Sanjay Kumar, J.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"\" style=\"max-width: 100%; max-height: 100%; font-size: 9pt; text-align: center;\">\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"\" style=\"max-width: 100%; max-height: 100%;\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"\" style=\"max-width: 100%; max-height: 100%;\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"\" style=\"max-width: 100%; max-height: 100%;\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h3 style=\"color: #000080;\">Buy Constitution of India &nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ebcwebstore.com\/product\/the-constitution-of-india-coat-pocket-edition?products_id=100647\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">HERE<\/a><\/h3>\n<p style=\"margin-bottom: 3%;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ebcwebstore.com\/product\/the-constitution-of-india-coat-pocket-edition?products_id=100647\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/ebcwebstore\/images\/the-constitution-of-india-coat-pocket-edition-Gopal-Sankaranarayanan-ebc-front-cover.JPG\" alt=\"Constitution of India\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-294438\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p style=\"font-style: italic;\">The Court said that addition of &#8216;socialist&#8217; and &#8216;secular&#8217; to the Preamble have not restricted or impeded legislations or policies pursued by elected governments and the constitutional position remains unambiguous, negating the need for a detailed academic pronouncement.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":336005,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,9],"tags":[75618,3653,34067,30112,60613,12101,75620,75619,15891],"class_list":["post-335966","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-casebriefs","category-supremecourt","tag-42nd-constitutional-amendment","tag-basic_structure","tag-emergency","tag-preamble","tag-secular","tag-secularism","tag-socialism","tag-socialist","tag-welfare-state"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.4 (Yoast SEO v26.4) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>SC decision on challenge to insertion of \u2018socialist\u2019 &amp; \u2018secular\u2019 in the Preamble<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Supreme Court dismisses petitions challenging insertion of \u201csocialist\u201d and \u201csecular\u201d in the Preamble via 42nd Constitutional Amendment.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2024\/11\/25\/socialist-secular-insertion-of-in-the-preamble-constitutional-amendment-challenge-sc-legal-news\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"SC dismisses petitions challenging insertion of \u201csocialist\u201d and \u201csecular\u201d in the Preamble via 42nd Constitutional Amendment\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Supreme Court dismisses petitions challenging insertion of \u201csocialist\u201d and \u201csecular\u201d in the Preamble via 42nd Constitutional Amendment.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2024\/11\/25\/socialist-secular-insertion-of-in-the-preamble-constitutional-amendment-challenge-sc-legal-news\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"SCC Times\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/scc.online\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-11-25T13:30:24+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-11-30T09:55:05+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/socialist-secular-42nd-constitutional-amendment-preamble.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"886\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"590\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Sucheta\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"SC dismisses petitions challenging insertion of \u201csocialist\u201d and \u201csecular\u201d in the Preamble via 42nd Constitutional Amendment\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Sucheta\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2024\/11\/25\/socialist-secular-insertion-of-in-the-preamble-constitutional-amendment-challenge-sc-legal-news\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2024\/11\/25\/socialist-secular-insertion-of-in-the-preamble-constitutional-amendment-challenge-sc-legal-news\/\",\"name\":\"SC decision on challenge to insertion of \u2018socialist\u2019 & \u2018secular\u2019 in the Preamble\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2024\/11\/25\/socialist-secular-insertion-of-in-the-preamble-constitutional-amendment-challenge-sc-legal-news\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2024\/11\/25\/socialist-secular-insertion-of-in-the-preamble-constitutional-amendment-challenge-sc-legal-news\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/socialist-secular-42nd-constitutional-amendment-preamble.webp\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-11-25T13:30:24+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-11-30T09:55:05+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/7416b8c43cd3a0a3412cf97fc17b54fa\"},\"description\":\"Supreme Court dismisses petitions challenging insertion of \u201csocialist\u201d and \u201csecular\u201d in the Preamble via 42nd Constitutional Amendment.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2024\/11\/25\/socialist-secular-insertion-of-in-the-preamble-constitutional-amendment-challenge-sc-legal-news\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2024\/11\/25\/socialist-secular-insertion-of-in-the-preamble-constitutional-amendment-challenge-sc-legal-news\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2024\/11\/25\/socialist-secular-insertion-of-in-the-preamble-constitutional-amendment-challenge-sc-legal-news\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/socialist-secular-42nd-constitutional-amendment-preamble.webp\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/socialist-secular-42nd-constitutional-amendment-preamble.webp\",\"width\":886,\"height\":590,\"caption\":\"socialist secular 42nd constitutional amendment preamble\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2024\/11\/25\/socialist-secular-insertion-of-in-the-preamble-constitutional-amendment-challenge-sc-legal-news\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"SC dismisses petitions challenging insertion of \u201csocialist\u201d and \u201csecular\u201d in the Preamble via 42nd Constitutional Amendment\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"SCC Times\",\"description\":\"Bringing you the Best Analytical Legal News\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/7416b8c43cd3a0a3412cf97fc17b54fa\",\"name\":\"Sucheta\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/530d4c250404c869212316d6351878b83f86bf27648031b1e6d4857a4bae4b88?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/530d4c250404c869212316d6351878b83f86bf27648031b1e6d4857a4bae4b88?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Sucheta\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/author\/legal_editor\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"SC decision on challenge to insertion of \u2018socialist\u2019 & \u2018secular\u2019 in the Preamble","description":"Supreme Court dismisses petitions challenging insertion of \u201csocialist\u201d and \u201csecular\u201d in the Preamble via 42nd Constitutional Amendment.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2024\/11\/25\/socialist-secular-insertion-of-in-the-preamble-constitutional-amendment-challenge-sc-legal-news\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"SC dismisses petitions challenging insertion of \u201csocialist\u201d and \u201csecular\u201d in the Preamble via 42nd Constitutional Amendment","og_description":"Supreme Court dismisses petitions challenging insertion of \u201csocialist\u201d and \u201csecular\u201d in the Preamble via 42nd Constitutional Amendment.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2024\/11\/25\/socialist-secular-insertion-of-in-the-preamble-constitutional-amendment-challenge-sc-legal-news\/","og_site_name":"SCC Times","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/scc.online\/","article_published_time":"2024-11-25T13:30:24+00:00","article_modified_time":"2024-11-30T09:55:05+00:00","og_image":[{"width":886,"height":590,"url":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/socialist-secular-42nd-constitutional-amendment-preamble.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Sucheta","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_title":"SC dismisses petitions challenging insertion of \u201csocialist\u201d and \u201csecular\u201d in the Preamble via 42nd Constitutional Amendment","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Sucheta","Est. reading time":"7 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2024\/11\/25\/socialist-secular-insertion-of-in-the-preamble-constitutional-amendment-challenge-sc-legal-news\/","url":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2024\/11\/25\/socialist-secular-insertion-of-in-the-preamble-constitutional-amendment-challenge-sc-legal-news\/","name":"SC decision on challenge to insertion of \u2018socialist\u2019 & \u2018secular\u2019 in the Preamble","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2024\/11\/25\/socialist-secular-insertion-of-in-the-preamble-constitutional-amendment-challenge-sc-legal-news\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2024\/11\/25\/socialist-secular-insertion-of-in-the-preamble-constitutional-amendment-challenge-sc-legal-news\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/socialist-secular-42nd-constitutional-amendment-preamble.webp","datePublished":"2024-11-25T13:30:24+00:00","dateModified":"2024-11-30T09:55:05+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/7416b8c43cd3a0a3412cf97fc17b54fa"},"description":"Supreme Court dismisses petitions challenging insertion of \u201csocialist\u201d and \u201csecular\u201d in the Preamble via 42nd Constitutional Amendment.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2024\/11\/25\/socialist-secular-insertion-of-in-the-preamble-constitutional-amendment-challenge-sc-legal-news\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2024\/11\/25\/socialist-secular-insertion-of-in-the-preamble-constitutional-amendment-challenge-sc-legal-news\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2024\/11\/25\/socialist-secular-insertion-of-in-the-preamble-constitutional-amendment-challenge-sc-legal-news\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/socialist-secular-42nd-constitutional-amendment-preamble.webp","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/socialist-secular-42nd-constitutional-amendment-preamble.webp","width":886,"height":590,"caption":"socialist secular 42nd constitutional amendment preamble"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2024\/11\/25\/socialist-secular-insertion-of-in-the-preamble-constitutional-amendment-challenge-sc-legal-news\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"SC dismisses petitions challenging insertion of \u201csocialist\u201d and \u201csecular\u201d in the Preamble via 42nd Constitutional Amendment"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/","name":"SCC Times","description":"Bringing you the Best Analytical Legal News","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/7416b8c43cd3a0a3412cf97fc17b54fa","name":"Sucheta","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/530d4c250404c869212316d6351878b83f86bf27648031b1e6d4857a4bae4b88?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/530d4c250404c869212316d6351878b83f86bf27648031b1e6d4857a4bae4b88?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Sucheta"},"url":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/author\/legal_editor\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/socialist-secular-42nd-constitutional-amendment-preamble.webp","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":282471,"url":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2023\/01\/25\/one-part-to-guide-them-all-preamble-the-constitutions-adi-vakya\/","url_meta":{"origin":335966,"position":0},"title":"\u201cOne Part to Guide Them All\u201d: Preamble- The Constitution&#8217;s \u2018Adi- Vakya&#8217;","author":"Editor","date":"January 25, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"by Sucheta Sarkar\u2020","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Op Eds&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Op Eds","link":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/category\/op-ed\/legal-analysis\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/MicrosoftTeams-image-201.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":6141,"url":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2015\/08\/09\/power-of-judicial-review-by-the-supreme-court-is-not-ousted-by-the-virtue-of-article-239-5-of-the-constitution-of-islamic-republic-of-pakistan\/","url_meta":{"origin":335966,"position":1},"title":"Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan contains certain \u2018salient features\u2019 that cannot be contravened by the Parliament through amendment","author":"Sucheta","date":"August 9, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Pakistan Supreme Court: The 17 Judge Bench of the Court constituted under Nasir-ul-Mulk, C.J., while deciding that whether there are any limitations on the power of the Parliament to amend the Constitution and whether the Courts have the jurisdiction to strike down a constitutional amendment, a majority of 13:4 observed\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Foreign Courts&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Foreign Courts","link":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/category\/casebriefs\/foreigncourts\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/scc-blog_Page_9.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/scc-blog_Page_9.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/scc-blog_Page_9.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/scc-blog_Page_9.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/scc-blog_Page_9.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":366748,"url":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2025\/11\/14\/two-pakistan-supreme-court-judges-resigned\/","url_meta":{"origin":335966,"position":2},"title":"Pakistan&#8217;s Supreme Court faces shake-up as two judges resign following 27th Constitutional Amendment","author":"Shubhi","date":"November 14, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Pakistan\u2019s judiciary faced upheaval as two Supreme Court judges resigned after the 27th Constitutional Amendment created a Federal Constitutional Court and curtailed Supreme Court powers","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Foreign Legislation&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Foreign Legislation","link":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/category\/legislationupdates\/foreign\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Pakistan's Supreme Court Judges","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Pakistans-Supreme-Court-Judges.webp?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Pakistans-Supreme-Court-Judges.webp?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Pakistans-Supreme-Court-Judges.webp?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Pakistans-Supreme-Court-Judges.webp?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":325986,"url":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2024\/07\/07\/justice-khanna-stands-as-an-undying-source-of-inspiration-an-icon-and-an-ideal-for-all-of-us-in-the-judicial-fraternity-justice-p-v-sanjay-kumar\/","url_meta":{"origin":335966,"position":3},"title":"&#8220;Justice Khanna Stands as an Undying Source of Inspiration, An Icon and an Ideal for all of us in the Judicial Fraternity&#8221;: Justice P.V. Sanjay Kumar","author":"Bhumika Indulia","date":"July 7, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"\u201cJustice Khanna Stands as an Undying Source of Inspiration, An Icon and an Ideal for All of us in the Judicial Fraternity\u201d: Justice P.V. Sanjay Kumar at 4th Justice HR Khanna Memorial Symposium | Can Foundation He [Justice H.R. Khanna] attained such heights that he will forever remain a shining\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Law School News&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Law School News","link":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/category\/lawschoolnews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Justice Khanna","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Justice-Khanna.webp?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Justice-Khanna.webp?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Justice-Khanna.webp?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Justice-Khanna.webp?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":214893,"url":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2019\/05\/21\/uganda-sc-constitutional-amendment-removing-age-limit-for-the-president-does-not-violate-the-basic-structure\/","url_meta":{"origin":335966,"position":4},"title":"Uganda SC | Constitutional Amendment removing age-limit for the President does not violate the Basic Structure","author":"Bhumika Indulia","date":"May 21, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Supreme Court of Uganda: The Full Bench of Katureebe, CJ., Arach-Amoko, Mwangusya, Opio-Aweri, Tibatemwa-Ekirikubinza, and Mugamba, JJ SC; and Tumwesigye, AG JSC upheld a Constitutional Amendment which negated age bar for the President and Local Council V Chairpersons. The Constitutional Court headed by Owiny-Dollo, DCJ. had declared that the Constitutional\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Case Briefs&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Case Briefs","link":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/category\/casebriefs\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Uganda-SC.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Uganda-SC.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Uganda-SC.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Uganda-SC.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Uganda-SC.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":290424,"url":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/2023\/04\/24\/kesavananda-bharati-vs-state-of-kerala\/","url_meta":{"origin":335966,"position":5},"title":"50 years of the unprecedented case of Kesavananda Bharati v. State of Kerala and the \u2018Doctrine of Basic Structure&#8217;","author":"Editor","date":"April 24, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Here is snippet on the evolution of \u2018Doctrine of Basic Structure' in the Independent India and how the biggest legal battle continued between the Judiciary and the Legislature, as the landmark case of Kesavananda Bharati v State of Kerela (1973) 4 SCC 225 enters its Golden Jubilee year.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Law made Easy&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Law made Easy","link":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/post\/category\/law-made-easy\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Kesavananda Bharati v. State of Kerala","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/doctrine-of-basic-structure.webp?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/doctrine-of-basic-structure.webp?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/doctrine-of-basic-structure.webp?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/doctrine-of-basic-structure.webp?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/335966","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=335966"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/335966\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/336005"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=335966"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=335966"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.scconline.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=335966"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}