Landmark Supreme Court case · 2017
K.S. Puttaswamy v. Union of India
Why this case matters
Privacy declared a fundamental right under Article 21.
Connected constitutional articles
Article 14 — Equality before law
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.
Article 19 — Protection of certain rights regarding freedom of speech, etc
Citizens get six freedoms — speech, assembly, association, movement, residence, and profession — but each can be limited by reasonable restrictions written in the article itself.
Article 21 — Protection of life and personal liberty
The State cannot take your life or your personal freedom unless it follows a procedure that is fair, not merely written down. Courts have used this article to protect dignity, privacy, livelihood, and humane treatment — far beyond the original one-line text.