Question 1

The Supreme Court has completely banned all government property demolitions across India.

Accepted Answer

Demolitions of illegal or unauthorized private structures are still allowed, provided authorities strictly follow the new due process guidelines (notices, hearings, reasoned orders).

Question 2

The mandatory 15-day notice applies to all types of encroachments everywhere.

Accepted Answer

Encroachments on public places like footpaths, railway tracks, and water bodies are explicitly exempted from the 15-day notice rule.

Question 3

Consider the following statements regarding the Supreme Court's November 2024 guidelines on property demolitions: 1. The Supreme Court invoked its extraordinary powers under Article 142 of the Constitution to issue these pan-India guidelines. 2. Officials who violate the demolition protocols can face contempt of court and be held liable for restitution from their personal salaries. 3. The 15-day prior notice requirement is mandatory for all demolitions, including unauthorized structures on public footpaths and riverbanks. How many of the statements given above are correct?

Accepted Answer

(b) Only two — Statement 1 is correct as the Court used Article 142 to issue binding pan-India directives to do 'complete justice'. Statement 2 is correct because the Court explicitly warned of contempt proceedings and out-of-pocket restitution by erring officials. Statement 3 is incorrect because the Court expressly exempted unauthorized structures on public spaces like roads, footpaths, railway lines, and water bodies from these specific guidelines. Therefore, only two statements are correct, making (b) the right answer and eliminating (a), (c), and (d).

Question 4

Match List I (Constitutional/Legal Concept) with List II (Application in the 2024 Demolition Judgment): List I: A. Article 142, B. Article 21, C. Separation of Powers, D. Collective Punishment. List II: 1. Right to shelter and protection of life and liberty against arbitrary deprivation. 2. The executive cannot usurp the adjudicatory role of the Judiciary to pronounce guilt. 3. Power of the Supreme Court to issue binding pan-India guidelines to do complete justice. 4. Demolishing a shared family home for the alleged crime of a single member. Select the correct answer using the code given below:

Accepted Answer

(a) A-3, B-1, C-2, D-4 — A matches 3 (Article 142 empowers SC to issue decrees for complete justice). B matches 1 (Article 21 protects the fundamental right to life, which includes the right to shelter). C matches 2 (Separation of powers forbids the executive from acting as a judge). D matches 4 (Collective punishment refers to penalizing the whole family for one person's alleged crime by destroying their shared home). Option (a) correctly maps all pairs. Options (b), (c), and (d) incorrectly scramble the legal doctrines with the wrong contextual applications.

Question 5

Assertion (A): The Supreme Court of India ruled that punitive demolition of a citizen's house solely because they are an accused or a convict is unconstitutional. Reason (R): Such an action violates the Separation of Powers, as the executive branch assumes the adjudicatory role of the judiciary to determine guilt and inflict punishment.

Accepted Answer

(a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A — Assertion (A) is true as the Supreme Court explicitly outlawed punitive demolitions ('bulldozer justice') against accused persons. Reason (R) is true and correctly explains A, because the core constitutional violation identified by the Court is the executive overstepping its bounds to act as a judge and executioner, thereby violating the Separation of Powers. Since R provides the exact legal rationale for A, option (a) is correct. Options (b), (c), and (d) are logically incorrect.

Supreme Court Pan-India Guidelines Against Arbitrary Property Demolitions

President's Rule Imposed in Manipur