The Supreme Court (Indian Polity and Governance) Part-III

Total Questions: 21

1. Fathima Beevi, who recently passes away, she is the India's first: [Chhattisgarh P.C.S. (Pre) 2023]

Correct Answer: (b) Woman Judge of Supreme Court
Solution:Justice Fathima Beevi was the first woman Judge of the Supreme Court. Apart from being the first woman Judge of the apex court, she was the first chair person of the National Human Rights Council and the first Muslim female Governor of India (TamilNadu).

Qualifications of Judges of the Supreme Court
A person to be appointed as a judge of the Supreme Court should have the following qualifications:

  • He/she should be a citizen of India.
  • He/she should:
    ∗ have been a judge of a High Court (or High Courts in                      succession) for 5 years; OR
    ∗ have been an advocate of a High Court (or High Courts in succession) for 10 years, OR
    ∗be a distinguished jurist in the opinion of the President of India.

2. Which one of the following is appointed as the fourth female Judge of Supreme Court in April 2010? [U.P. Lower Sub. (Pre) 2008]

Correct Answer: (c) Justice Gyan Sudha Misra
Solution:At the time when the question was asked, Justice Gyan Sudha Mishra was the only female Judge of the Supreme Court. She was elevated as a Judge of the Supreme Court of India on 30 April 2010. Earlier she worked as Chief Justice of Patna High Court. Previously, Justice Fatima Beevi, Judge Sujata Manohar and Justice Ruma Pal have served as Judge of Supreme Court. Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai is the fifth female Judge of the Supreme Court of India, and served from 13 September 2011 to 29 October 2014. Presently the Supreme Court has three sitting woman Judges namely Hima Kohali, Bela Trivedi and B.V. Nagaratha.

3. Who amongst the following, recently appointed as Supreme Court judge, was not earlier judge of a High Court? [U.P.P.C.S. (Mains) 2016]

Correct Answer: (c) L. Nageshwara Rao
Solution:Justice L. Nageshwara Rao is a serving Judge of the Supreme Court of India. He is the 7h person elevated directly from the Bar to the Supreme Court of India and was sworn in on 13 May, 2016.

Qualifications of Judges of the Supreme Court
A person to be appointed as a judge of the Supreme Court should have the following qualifications:

  • He/she should be a citizen of India.
  • He/she should:
    ∗ have been a judge of a High Court (or High Courts in                      succession) for 5 years; OR
    ∗ have been an advocate of a High Court (or High Courts in succession) for 10 years, OR
    ∗be a distinguished jurist in the opinion of the President of India.

4. Who among the following chief justice of Madhya Pradesh High Court has not been the judge at Supreme Court of India? [M.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 2020]

Correct Answer: (c) Justice S.K. Jha
Solution:Justice S.K. Jha among the above question chief Justice of the Madhya Pradesh High Court has not been the Judge at supreme court of India.

Qualifications of Judges of the Supreme Court
A person to be appointed as a judge of the Supreme Court should have the following qualifications:

  • He/she should be a citizen of India.
  • He/she should:
    ∗ have been a judge of a High Court (or High Courts in                      succession) for 5 years; OR
    ∗ have been an advocate of a High Court (or High Courts in succession) for 10 years, OR
    ∗be a distinguished jurist in the opinion of the President of India.

5. Which one of the following judges of Supreme Court of India has not worked in Rajasthan High Court as judge? [R.A.S/R.T.S (Pre) - 2018]

Correct Answer: (d) Justice R.C. Lahoti
Solution:Ramesh Chandra Lahoti was the 35th Chief Justice of India serving from 1 June 2004 to 1 November 2005. He joined the Bar in Guna District (MP) in 1960 and enrolled as an advocate in 1962.

Qualifications of Judges of the Supreme Court
A person to be appointed as a judge of the Supreme Court should have the following qualifications:

  • He/she should be a citizen of India.
  • He/she should:
    ∗ have been a judge of a High Court (or High Courts in                      succession) for 5 years; OR
    ∗ have been an advocate of a High Court (or High Courts in succession) for 10 years, OR
    ∗be a distinguished jurist in the opinion of the President of India.

6. Who was the Chief Justice of India when Public Interest litigation was introduced in the Indian Judicial System? [U.P. P.C.S. (Pre) 2018]

Correct Answer: (c) P.N. Bhagwati
Solution:Prafullachandra Natwarlal Bhagwati (PN Bhagwati) accepted a case (Kapila Hingorani had filed a petition) which came to be known as Hussainana Khatoon v/s State of Bihar 1979). It was the first time when a case based on Public Interest Litigation was taken into consideration. During this time the Cheif Justice of India was Y.V. Chandrachud, whereas P. N.Bhagwati became the 17th Chief Justice of India and was in office from 12 July 1985 - 20 Dec 1986. Thus none of the given options is appropriate.

7. Public Interest Litigations was introduced by - [U.P.P.C.S. (Mains) 2008]

Correct Answer: (c) Judicial initiative
Solution:The concept of Public Interest Litigation (PIL) agrees with the principles enshrined in Article 39A of the Constitution of India to protect and deliver prompt Social Justice with the help of law. Before the 1980s, only the aggrieved party could approach the Courts for justice. After the Emergency era, the Supreme Court reached out to the people, devising a means for any person of the public (or an NGO) to approach the court seeking legal remedy in cases where the public interest is at stake. Justice P. N. Bhagwati and Justice V. R. Krishna Iyer were among the first Judges to admit PILs in court. PIL can be filed both in the High Courts and the Supreme Court.

8. Consider the following statements: [I.A.S. (Pre) 2008]

1. Justice V.R. Krishna Iyer was the Chief Justice of India.

2. Justice V.R. Krishna Iyer is considered as one of the progenitors of Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Indian Judicial System.

Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?

 

Correct Answer: (b) 2 only
Solution:Justice V. R. Krishna Iyer (15 November 1915-4 December 2014) was elevated as the Judge of the Supreme court, but he was not the Chief Justice of India. Justice P.N. Bhagwati and Justice Iyer are known for initiating Public Interest Litigation.

The Chief Justice is appointed by the President after consultation with such judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts as he deems necessary.
As per the Second Judges Case (1993), the senior-most judge of the Supreme Court should alone be appointed as the Chief Justice of India.

9. PIL is - [M.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 2013]

Correct Answer: (a) Public Interest Litigation
Solution:
  • According to the Supreme Court (in Janata Dal v. H.S.Chaudhary, 1993) Public Interest Litigation (PIL) means a legal action started in a court of law for the enforcement of public/general interest where the public or a particular class of the public have some interest (including pecuniary interest) that affects their legal rights or liabilities.
  • Public Interest is the interest belonging to a particular class of the community that affects their legal rights or liabilities.
  • The concept of PIL has its origin in the USA in the 1960s.

10. Where can the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) be filed? [Uttarakhand P.C.S. (Pre) 2012]

Correct Answer: (d) Both in High Courts & Supreme Court
Solution:
  • According to the Supreme Court (in Janata Dal v. H.S.Chaudhary, 1993) Public Interest Litigation (PIL) means a legal action started in a court of law for the enforcement of public/general interest where the public or a particular class of the public have some interest (including pecuniary interest) that affects their legal rights or liabilities.
  • Public Interest is the interest belonging to a particular class of the community that affects their legal rights or liabilities.
  • The concept of PIL has its origin in the USA in the 1960s.