Which of the following disputes falls under the Supreme Court’s exclusive original jurisdiction as per Article 131 of the Indian Constitution?

Correct — C. Article 131 gives the Supreme Court original jurisdiction, to the exclusion of any other court, in disputes:

between the Government of India and one or more States
between the Government of India and any State or States on one side and one or more other States on the other
between two or more States

The first is 'Disputes between Centre and one or more States' → option (c).

Why the others are wrong

• (a)
  Inter-State water disputes — Article 262 carves river water out. Parliament may by law bar the Supreme Court and every other court from these disputes, and the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956 sends them to tribunals.
• (b)
  Election disputes of MPs and MLAs — Election petitions against MPs and MLAs are tried by the High Court under the Representation of the People Act, 1951, with appeal to the Supreme Court. They do not begin in the Supreme Court.
• (d)
  Appeals against High Court decisions — Appeals are appellate jurisdiction, not original. The Supreme Court hears appeals from High Courts under Articles 132 to 134, and by special leave under Article 136.

A case that begins in the Supreme Court falls under its original jurisdiction. A case that reaches it from a lower court falls under its appellate jurisdiction.

Article 131 is the federal part of original jurisdiction, and it is exclusive: no other court may hear a dispute between the Centre and States, or between States.

The dispute must involve a question of law or fact on which the existence or extent of a legal right depends.

Key facts

• Article 131 covers disputes between the Government of India and one or more States, and between two or more States.
• Its proviso excludes disputes arising from pre-Constitution treaties, agreements, covenants, engagements or sanads.
• Article 262 lets Parliament bar the Supreme Court and other courts from inter-State river water disputes.
• Election petitions under the Representation of the People Act, 1951 are tried by the High Court, with appeal to the Supreme Court.

Common traps

• Picking inter-State water disputes because they are quarrels between States: Article 262 lets Parliament keep them out of the courts.
• Mixing up election disputes of MPs and MLAs, which start in the High Court, with those of the President and Vice-President, which go to the Supreme Court.

No directly related past PYQ was found.