Article 21
Right to Life and Personal Liberty
Article 21 of the Constitution guarantees that no person shall be deprived of his life or personal liberty except according to procedure established by law. Over decades of judicial interpretation, the Supreme Court has expanded Article 21 far beyond its literal text to include a broad cluster of rights intrinsic to human dignity.
- Article 21 is available to all persons (citizens and non-citizens alike), unlike most other fundamental rights.
- Key expansions include: right to health (Paschim Banga Khet Mazdoor Samity v. State of West Bengal, 1996), right to livelihood (Olga Tellis v. Bombay Municipal Corporation, 1985), right to education (later codified in Article 21A by the 86th Amendment, 2002), right to a clean environment (M.C. Mehta v. Union of India series).
- The Jaya Thakur judgment (2026) adds menstrual health and hygiene as a constitutionally enforceable component, moving it from the realm of welfare schemes into a justiciable fundamental right.
- The Court found that menstrual poverty is a structural rights problem: absence of sanitary products and facilities causes girls to drop out of school, constituting a violation of both Article 21 and Article 21A (right to free and compulsory education).
● Tracked since February 03, 2026 · last seen September 20, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes
17 Sep '26
Supreme Court Directs Manipur Chief Secretary to Respond on Relief Camp Deaths
Polity & Governance
02 Jul '26
Default Bail Not Available for Non-Supply of Charge Sheet Copies: Supreme Court
Polity & Governance
01 Jul '26
Default Bail Not Triggered by Non-Supply of Chargesheet Copies: Supreme Court
Polity & Governance
19 Jun '26
Right to Walk on Footpaths Declared a Fundamental Right by the Supreme Court
Polity & Governance
28 May '26
Supreme Court: Right to Trauma Care Is an Integral Part of Right to Life
Polity & Governance
05 May '26
How 'Bulldozer Justice' Undermines the Law: The Supreme Court's Landmark Ruling
Polity & Governance
30 Apr '26
Supreme Court Calls for MTP Act Reform to Better Protect Pregnant Minors
Polity & Governance
22 Apr '26
Supreme Court's Article 142 Power and Road Safety as a Fundamental Right
Polity & Governance
Plus 3 earlier mentions since February 03, 2026.
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