Q20. Which statement about the Indian judicial system is false?
[CTET Paper II (Social Science), 22 December 2021]
(A) PILs may be filed on behalf of persons whose rights are violated
(B) A fair trial requires an opportunity for the accused to defend
(C) The Supreme Court cannot decide disputes between the Centre and a State
(D) The right to water is read into the right to life
Answer: (C) The Supreme Court cannot decide disputes between the Centre and a State
Explanation: Article 131 gives the Supreme Court original jurisdiction in specified disputes involving the Union and States. Hence denying that jurisdiction is false. PIL can also protect others’ rights, while Article 21 has been interpreted to protect essential conditions of dignified life.
Q19. The seeds of Public Interest Litigation in India were sown in which year?
[UP Police SI, 24 November 2021, Shift 3]
(A) 1986
(B) 1950
(C) 1976
(D) 1988
Answer: (C) 1976
Explanation: The 1976 Mumbai Kamgar Sabha litigation associated with Justice V. R. Krishna Iyer is frequently cited as an early step towards relaxed standing. PIL expanded further through the late 1970s and early 1980s, especially in rights-related proceedings.
Q18. Public Interest Litigation was introduced in India:
[UP Police SI, 23 November 2021, Shift 2]
(A) By political parties
(B) By an Act of Parliament
(C) By constitutional amendment
(D) By judicial initiative
Answer: (D) By judicial initiative
Explanation: PIL developed through judicial initiative rather than a dedicated parliamentary statute or constitutional amendment. Judges made standing requirements more flexible so that bona fide petitioners could seek relief on behalf of people who lacked practical access to courts.
Q17. A person may file a Public Interest Litigation in the Supreme Court under which Article?
[UP Police SI, 23 November 2021, Shift 1]
(A) Article 134
(B) Article 32
(C) Article 136
(D) Article 131
Answer: (B) Article 32
Explanation: Article 32 permits direct recourse to the Supreme Court for enforcement of fundamental rights, including through appropriate public-interest petitions. Article 226 separately empowers High Courts to issue writs for fundamental rights and other legally enforceable rights.
Q16. India borrowed the concept of judicial review from which country?
[UGC NET Public Administration, 22 November 2021]
(A) United Kingdom
(B) Canada
(C) South Africa
(D) United States of America
Answer: (D) United States of America
Explanation: The constitutional practice of judicial review is closely linked to the United States and Marbury v. Madison. India incorporated this safeguard through its own constitutional provisions, permitting courts to examine whether statutes or government actions exceed constitutional powers.
Q15. Where did the concept of Public Interest Litigation originate?
[UP Police SI, 21 November 2021, Shift 3]
(A) Ireland
(B) USA
(C) Russia
(D) UK
Answer: (B) USA
Explanation: American public-interest law was an important antecedent of India’s PIL movement. Indian judges adapted the approach to local constitutional rights and barriers to access, allowing litigation for genuine public causes even where a petitioner is not individually injured.
Q14. Who coined the expression “judicial activism” in 1947?
[UP Police SI, 20 November 2021, Shift 2]
(A) Harlan F. Stone
(B) John Roberts
(C) Pierce Butler
(D) Arthur Schlesinger Jr.
Answer: (D) Arthur Schlesinger Jr.
Explanation: American historian Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr. popularised the expression “judicial activism” in 1947 while discussing approaches taken by judges. In India, the phrase later became associated with assertive constitutional adjudication, rights expansion and public-interest proceedings.
Q13. Who cautioned that judicial activism should not become judicial adventurism?
[JPSC Civil Services, 19 September 2021]
(A) Justice A. S. Anand
(B) Justice Ranjan Gogoi
(C) Justice Dipak Misra
(D) Justice P. N. Bhagwati
Answer: (A) Justice A. S. Anand
Explanation: Former Chief Justice A. S. Anand warned against judicial adventurism, emphasising the need for judicial restraint and discipline. Activism can enforce constitutional accountability, but courts must respect institutional boundaries and avoid unnecessarily replacing policymaking by elected authorities.
Q12. What does PIL stand for?
[SSC Junior Engineer (Mechanical), 27 October 2020, Evening]
(A) Private Industry Limited
(B) Public Industry Limited
(C) Public Interest Litigation
(D) Political Interest Litigation
Answer: (C) Public Interest Litigation
Explanation: PIL stands for Public Interest Litigation. The procedure allows serious matters of collective welfare to be brought before courts, often by representatives acting for disadvantaged individuals or communities. Courts should reject petitions designed merely for personal gain or publicity.
Q11. Which Article of the Indian Constitution is especially associated with rights-expanding judicial activism?
[UGC NET Political Science, 9 October 2020]
(A) Article 14
(B) Article 18
(C) Article 21
(D) Article 25
Answer: (C) Article 21
Explanation: Article 21 protects life and personal liberty. Through purposive judicial interpretation it has been read to include aspects of dignity, health, livelihood and fair procedure. This expansive rights jurisprudence is a prominent example of judicial activism in India.
