Maneka Gandhi v. Union of India

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.

Citizens get six freedoms — speech, assembly, association, movement, residence, and profession — but each can be limited by reasonable restrictions written in the article itself.

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.