The Parliament's power to amend the Constitution received first challenge through which of the following cases?

Question

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Correct — D, the Shankari Prasad case (Shankari Prasad Singh Deo v. Union of India, 1951). It was the first time the constitutional validity of an amendment — the First Constitutional Amendment Act, 1951, which had curtailed the right to property — was challenged before the Supreme Court. The Court upheld Parliament's power: it held that the word 'law' in Article 13 means ordinary law made under legislative powers, not a constitutional amendment made under Article 368, so Parliament could amend even the Fundamental Rights. That ruling opened the amendment-power line of cases which runs through Sajjan Singh (1965), Golaknath (1967) and Kesavananda Bharati (1973).

Why the other options are wrong — (a) 1973 — the culmination of this line, not its beginning. It overruled Golaknath, allowed Parliament to amend any part of the Constitution, but laid down the 'basic structure' doctrine as an outer limit.  (b) 1967 — the reversal, not the first challenge. The Supreme Court here held that Parliament could NOT abridge or take away Fundamental Rights, treating an amendment as 'law' under Article 13. Parliament responded with the 24th Amendment Act, 1971.  (c) 1951, and it does predate Shankari Prasad in the same year — but it was not a challenge to the amending power at all. State of Madras v. Champakam Dorairajan struck down a caste-based communal order in college admissions and held that Fundamental Rights prevail over Directive Principles; it was the case that prompted the First Amendment, which Shankari Prasad then challenged.

Concept: Article 368 gives Parliament the power to amend the Constitution, but says nothing about whether Fundamental Rights are off-limits. Four decades of litigation settled that question. Shankari Prasad (1951) and Sajjan Singh (1965) said Parliament may amend Fundamental Rights; Golaknath (1967) said it may not; Kesavananda Bharati (1973) struck the balance still in force — Parliament may amend any provision, including a Fundamental Right, provided it does not damage or destroy the basic structure of the Constitution.

State PCS 2026 Q18 — Indian Polity PYQ with Answer

State PCS 2026 Q18 — Indian Polity PYQ with Answer