What is Article 21 of the Indian Constitution?

If there is any article in the entire Constitution that needs interpretation the most, it is Article 21. A good constitution helps in running the country for a very long time. But with changing times, both politics and thinking change and not every article of the Constitution may be equally applicable in every situation.

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What is Article 21?

Article 21 declares that no person shall be deprived of his life or personal liberty except according to procedure prescribed by law. This right is available to both citizens and foreigners. In the famous Gopalan case, the Supreme Court gave a narrow interpretation of Article 21, holding that protection under Article 21 is available only against executive action. This means that the state cannot deprive any person of life and personal liberty based on law.

Meaning and Scope of Physical Freedom

The term personal liberty used in Article 21 is a term with a very wide meaning and thus it includes all those essential elements of personal liberty which help in making the individual whole. In this sense, the phrase also includes all the rights of freedom conferred by Article 19. But initially, the Supreme Court gave a very narrow meaning to this phrase.

Procedure Established by Law

This is because of the expression ‘due process established by law’, which is different from the expression ‘due process established by law’ contained in the US Constitution. Therefore the validity of the law cannot be questioned on the ground that it is unfair or unjust. But in Maneka’s case, the Supreme Court overturned the decision of the Gopalan case and Anu. Article 21 has been explained in detail. He therefore ruled that a person’s right to life and personal liberty may be deprived by law, provided it is justified. In other words, he introduced the US law ‘due process of law’ protected under Article 21. It should be available not only against arbitrary executive action but also against arbitrary legislative action. The ‘right to life’ written in Article 21 is not limited to mere animal existence or existence, but its scope includes the right to live with human dignity and all those aspects of life that make a person’s life meaningful, and complete. it’s worth it.

Declaration of Rights

The Supreme Court has declared the following rights to be part of Article 21:

Live with Human Dignity (मानवीय गरिमा के साथ जियो)
True to Life (जीवन के प्रति सच्चा)
Good for Health (स्वास्थ्य के लिए सही)
Right to Shelter (आश्रय का अधिकार)
Right to Privacy (निजता/गोपनीयता का अधिकार)
A good civilized environment with free water and air and protection from hazardous industries (मुफ़्त पानी और हवा और खतरनाक उद्योगों से सुरक्षा वाला अच्छा सभ्य वातावरण)
Right to Sleep (सोने का अधिकार)
Right to be Free from Noise Pollution (ध्वनि प्रदूषण से मुक्त होने का अधिकार)
Women deserve Good Treatment and Respect (महिलाएं अच्छे व्यवहार और सम्मान की पात्र हैं)
Right Against Custodial Torture (हिरासत में यातना के विरुद्ध अधिकार)
Right to Social and Economic Life and Empowerment (सामाजिक एवं आर्थिक जीवन एवं सशक्तिकरण का अधिकार)
Right to Travel Abroad (विदेश यात्रा का अधिकार)
Right to Timely Treatment in Government Hospitals (सरकारी अस्पतालों में समय पर इलाज का अधिकार)
Right to Free Education till the Age of 14 years (चौदह वर्ष की आयु तक निःशुल्क शिक्षा का अधिकार)
Right to Emergency Medical AID (आपातकालीन चिकित्सा सहायता का अधिकार)
Right Against Handcuffs (हथकड़ी के विरुद्ध अधिकार)
Right to the Appropriate Mark (उचित चिह्न का अधिकार)
Right Against Solitary Confinement (एकान्त कारावास के विरुद्ध अधिकार)
Right to Free Legal Aid (निःशुल्क कानूनी सहायता का अधिकार)
Right not to Leave the State (राज्य न छोड़ने का अधिकार)
Right to Electricity (बिजली का अधिकार)
Right Against Inhuman Behavior (अमानवीय व्यवहार के विरुद्ध अधिकार)
Right to Reputation (प्रतिष्ठा का अधिकार)
Right Against Public Hanging (सार्वजनिक फाँसी के विरुद्ध अधिकार)
Right Against Bonded Labor (बंधुआ मजदूरी के विरुद्ध अधिकार)
Right to Information (सूचना का अधिकार)
Right to Marry as per one’s wish (अपनी इच्छानुसार विवाह करने का अधिकार)
Protection of Cultural Heritage (सांस्कृतिक विरासत का संरक्षण)
Right against Delayed Execution (विलंबित निष्पादन के विरुद्ध अधिकार)
Right of Every Child to a full Development (प्रत्येक बच्चे का पूर्ण विकास का अधिकार)