Question

The Supreme Court Judgment in Unni Krishnan, J.P. v. State of Andhra Pradesh (1993) is significant for which of the following reasons?

• A. It declared the Right to Property as a fundamental right
• B. It recognized the Right to Education as a fundamental right under Article
• C. It abolished reservations in educational institutions
• D. It upheld the absolute privatization of higher education

Answer 1

Answer:

B. It recognized the Right to Education as a fundamental right under Article

• In Unni Krishnan, J.P. v. State of Andhra Pradesh (1993), the Supreme Court ruled that the Right to Education flows directly from the Right to Life and Personal Liberty guaranteed under Article 21.

• The Court held that every child/citizen has a fundamental right to free education until they complete the age of 14 years. Beyond 14 years, the obligation of the State to provide education is subject to its economic capacity and development.

• This landmark ruling paved the path for the 86th Constitutional Amendment Act, 2002, which formally inserted Article 21A into the Indian Constitution, and eventually led to the enactment of the Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009.