Consider the following statements: 1. Article 131 provides exclusive original jurisdiction to High Courts in federal disputes. 2. The Supreme Court can adjudicate disputes between States under Article 131. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Correct — B. Read Article 131 itself.

It 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, and between two or more States.

Statement 1 is false. It hands this jurisdiction to High Courts, which Article 131 expressly shuts out.

Statement 2 is true. Clause (c) covers disputes between States.

Only 2 → option (b).

Why the others are wrong

• (a)
  Only 1 — Statement 1 names the wrong court. Article 131 vests original jurisdiction in the Supreme Court, 'to the exclusion of any other court', so High Courts hold none under it.
• (c)
  Both 1 and 2 — Statement 1 is false, so both cannot be correct. Article 131 reserves these federal disputes for the Supreme Court, not the High Courts.
• (d)
  Neither 1 nor 2 — Statement 2 is true. Article 131(c) expressly covers disputes between two or more States, so 'neither' throws out a correct statement.

Original jurisdiction means a case begins in that court rather than reaching it on appeal.

Article 131 makes the Supreme Court the sole forum for federal disputes: the Union against States, the Union and some States against other States, and State against State.

The dispute must involve a question of law or fact on which the existence or extent of a legal right depends. A proviso excludes disputes arising from pre-Constitution treaties, agreements, covenants, engagements or sanads that continue in operation.

Key facts

• Article 131 gives the Supreme Court original jurisdiction in federal disputes, to the exclusion of any other court.
• It covers disputes between the Government of India and States, and between two or more States.
• Article 262 lets Parliament bar all courts from inter-State river water disputes.
• High Courts issue writs under Article 226, the counterpart of the Supreme Court's Article 32.

Common traps

• Reading 'original jurisdiction' as a High Court power because High Courts also hear writ petitions first: federal disputes under Article 131 go to the Supreme Court alone.
• Assuming river water disputes also fall under Article 131: Article 262 lets Parliament keep them out of every court.

No directly related past PYQ was found.