The State shall not deny to any person equality before the law or the equal protection of the laws within the territory of India.
In plain language
The State must treat people equally before the law. It can classify groups for a genuine public reason, but it cannot be arbitrary or personal in who gets the benefit of the law.
Current official-edition wording. Historical reconstruction is not claimed for this article.
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Judicial interpretation
E.P. Royappa v. State of Tamil Nadu (1974). The Supreme Court held that equality is a dynamic concept. State action that is arbitrary is, by itself, a violation of Article 14.