Revision summary
Article 21 bars deprivation of life and personal liberty except by procedure established by law. Maneka Gandhi (1978) required that procedure to be fair, just, and reasonable. Life includes livelihood, health, shelter, environment, and dignity. Liberty includes privacy, speedy trial, legal aid, and protection from torture. The clause is wide but still tied to life, liberty, and a valid public-law duty.
Model answer
Introduction
Article 21 says that no person shall be deprived of life or personal liberty except according to procedure established by law. The ambit today is a judicial catalogue, not the short colonial reading of A.K. Gopalan.
Body
Core text and the turn
- After Maneka Gandhi v. Union of India (1978), procedure under Article 21 must be fair, just, and reasonable, so Articles 14, 19, and 21 are read together.
- Life means more than animal existence (Francis Coralie Mullin); personal liberty covers a wide set of bodily and decisional freedoms against arbitrary state action.
Rights read into Article 21
- Livelihood (Olga Tellis), shelter, health, a clean environment, and dignity have been treated as part of life when the state acts or omits in a way that destroys them.
- Speedy trial, legal aid, protection against torture and handcuffing, and privacy (K.S. Puttaswamy, 2017) sit inside personal liberty.
- Education was read through Article 21 before Article 21A; a decent environment and against solitary confinement also travel on this clause.
Limits
- Article 21 is not a blank cheque for every social claim; courts still need a link to life or liberty and usually a state duty, not a private wish-list.
Flow diagram
flowchart TD A21[Article 21 life and liberty] --> M[Maneka fair procedure] M --> L[Livelihood health environment dignity] M --> P[Privacy speedy trial legal aid]
Conclusion
Rights within Article 21 now include dignity, livelihood, health, environment, speedy justice, legal aid, and privacy, because life and liberty were read as a fair constitutional guarantee. The clause still needs procedure established by a valid law; it does not repeal the rest of the Constitution.
Quick related
Students also ask
-
Consider the functions and relations of the Chief Minister and the Governor of State.
Next question in the 2022 paper (Q5). View answer →
-
Does Article 21 list privacy in the text?
No. Privacy was read in by the Supreme Court, notably in Puttaswamy (2017).
-
Is every Directive Principle now a fundamental right under Article 21?
No. Courts expand life and liberty with care. Many socio-economic claims still travel as directives, not as writ-ready rights.
PYQ trend
When UPSC asked this
Related PYQs from other years, newest first. Open a question to read it.
-
2022 · Q3 · UPGS2 · 8 marks
Discuss the role of non-governmental organisations in the process of policy making. -
2022 · Q7 · UPGS2 · 8 marks
“Lok Adalats have acted as a great catalyst for change in the Indian Legal System.” Elucidate. -
2022 · Q13 · UPGS2 · 12 marks
Explain the objectives and composition of “NITI Aayog”. What are its significant achievements? -
2022 · Q15 · UPGS2 · 12 marks
How is the President of India elected? -
2022 · Q17 · UPGS2 · 12 marks
Discuss the evolution and impact of the “Basic structure doctrine” of the Indian Constitution. -
2022 · Q18 · UPGS2 · 12 marks
Write a critical note on problems and reforms of administrative system in Uttar Pradesh. -
2021 · Q2 · UPGS2 · 8 marks
‘Citizen charter in India could not become effective. There is a need to make it effective and meaningful’ – Evaluate. -
2021 · Q4 · UPGS2 · 8 marks
The Preamble of the Constitution affirms the basic features of the Constitution and the promotion of human dignity – Elucidate.
More from this paper
Q1 · UPSC Mains 2022 · UPGS2 · 8 marks
Describe the salient features of “UMANG Scheme” related to e-governance.
Welfare schemes
UMANG is a unified mobile and web app for new-age governance, launched in November 2017 by MeitY and NeGD. One login reaches many central and state services instead of separate department apps. Aadhaar, DigiLocker, and payments sit on the same rail. The catalogue is multilingual and searchable. The platform works only where departments keep their modules live.
Q2 · UPSC Mains 2022 · UPGS2 · 8 marks
What are the fundamental causes of poverty and hunger? What government schemes have been implemented to eliminate poverty and hunger?
Welfare schemes
Poverty and hunger rest on insecure earnings, unequal land and social access, and weak health and education. Climate and delivery leaks turn a shock into chronic hunger. NFSA 2013 and PMGKAY supply a cereal floor; MGNREGA supplies rural wages. NRLM, PMAY-G, PM POSHAN, POSHAN Abhiyaan, and ICDS attack livelihood, housing, and nutrition. Cereal rations do not by themselves end micronutrient hunger.
Q3 · UPSC Mains 2022 · UPGS2 · 8 marks
Discuss the role of non-governmental organisations in the process of policy making.
Indian Constitution
NGOs shape policy by turning field failure into campaigns that later become law. They supply notes, model bills, and pilots that ministries and committees use. NITI Aayog, social audit, standing committees, media, and PIL are the usual doors. FCRA and donor templates can help or distort Indian federal design. NGOs advise and watch; they do not enact statutes.
Toppers' copies
Toppers' copies for this question will be uploaded soon.