As we can say, all who are here are able to understand Article 14 of the Indian Constitution i.e. “Right to Equality”. We can say that after 73 years of independence, our country is not in a position to gain real independence. wicked like discrimination is still victorious in our country. As the one who created our Constitution suffered from this offensive. Even now there are some places where people don’t seem to be treated equally and they are discriminated against on different basis like religion, race, sex, caste, place of origin, etc.
As we know RIGHT TO EQUALITY is a fundamental right to humans so it helps us to ensure the guarantee to every person the right to equality before the law and equal protection of the law.
This right is right to equality is not only limited to Indian citizens only but also to non-citizens.
Article 14
- EQUALITY BEFORE LAW
- NOT ABSOLUTE
- ALMOST LIKE THE RULE OF LAW
- EQUAL PROTECTION OF LAW
- POSITIVE thought
Thus Article fourteen says that “The state shall not deny to someone equality before the law or equal protection of laws within the territory of Asian country Prohibition of discrimination on grounds of faith, race, caste, sex or place of birth.”
Thus we have a tendency to square measure getting to say that this law is going to be followed by all voters likewise as non-voters.
Equality Before Law
. It is obtained from English law.
. This implies the absence of any special privileges in someone.
. Implies no discrimination before the law on malapropos grounds like rank, office, etc.
. States that each individual is subject to the jurisdiction of standard courts no matter their rank or position
Equal Protection of Law
. It is affected by equality before the law.
. It is supported by the last clause of the primary section of the fourteenth modification of the America Constitution.
. It directs that equal protection ought to be secured to all or any persons at intervals in the territorial jurisdiction.
. This implies that such protection ought to be with no favour and discrimination.
. This implies equal treatment in similar circumstances, each within the privileges and liabilities obligatory by the law.
. It is a positive obligation of the state that it ought to deliver the goods by conveyance concerning necessary social and economic changes, to confirm one and all enjoy such equal protection.
Rule of law
The principle of Article fourteen, ‘equality before the law’ to an outsized extent supported the conception of Rule of law as coined by A. V. Dicey. It states that every people, government and different establishment ought to adapt and be ruled by law and not by any whimsical action by a person or cluster of people. no matter the rank or position of an individual, he ought to come back below the jurisdiction of normal courts and not of any special courts. It additionally states that governmental choices ought to be supported by legal and ethical principles embedded within the supreme law, within the case of an Asian country, the Indian Constitution.
The Dicey theory gave three pillars and these are-
. Supremacy of law
. Equality before law
. The Predominance of legal spirit
Supremacy of law
There ought to be an associated absence of absolute power which not a soul ought to be admonished apart from a breach of law. associate offence ought to be tested by the authorities of the country before the normal courts to penalize him in keeping with legal procedure.
Equality before law
All people, no matter their rank or position (poor or made, officers or non-officials, etc.) ought to be subjected to the standard law of the land that is run by standard courts. It seeks to confirm that law is run and enforced in an exceedingly simple and honest manner. it’s additionally been embedded in Preamble and Article seven of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It implies ‘law offers equal justice to all’.
The Predominance of legal spirit
Dicey believed that there ought to be an Associate in Nursing implementing authority to enforce effectively the higher than 2 principles. consistent with him, such implementing authority ought to be ‘courts’.
Prohibition of discrimination on grounds of religion, caste, race, sex or place of birth (Article 15)
‘The State shall not discriminate against any subject on grounds solely of faith, race, caste, sex, place of birth or any of them.’ As per article 15(1) It is accessible against State Protection below this provision is often taken by any subject once he’s subjected to discrimination in relevancy to any rights, liabilities or privileges given thereto by the constitution.
As in the case of Nain Sukh Das Vs State of UP
Supreme Court quashed a State law that approved elections on the idea of separate electorates for members of various non-secular communities per se discrimination was supported faith.
An explanation for action is offered only if such discrimination is on the preceding grounds, and once discrimination isn’t supported on top of the mentioned ground, the law is taken into account to be valid.
‘No national shall, on grounds solely of faith, race, caste, sex, place of birth or any of them, be subject to any incapacity, liability, restriction or condition with regard to (a) access to retailers, public restaurants, hotels and palaces of public entertainment; or (b) the utilization of wells, tanks, bathing ghats, roads and places of public resort maintained all or partially out of State funds or dedicated to the utilization of the final public.’ As per article 15(2)
Similarly in the case of R.C Poudyal Vs Union of India
The court upheld the reservation of 1 seat in the State general assembly in favour of Sangha competitive that it’s not simply a spiritual community but additionally a cultural and historical community. it had been declared that it had been the impact and operation of the law that is very important to seek out out if there square measure any grounds of discrimination instead of its purpose or motive.
.‘Nothing during this article shall forestall the State from creating any special provision for ladies and youngsters.’
It implies that the Parliament has the correct to form special provisions. This article is an associate exception to the rule against discrimination.
The intention of the framers of the constitution was to guard the interests of youngsters and ladies as a result of these sections were thought of as relatively weaker sections of the society and therefore the want for such provision was felt for his or her upliftment. [As per Article 15(3)]
Similarly in the case of Rajesh Kumar Gupta VS State of U.P
In the choice of grade school lecturers, reservations of up to fifty p.c for ladies were upheld by the court. Reservation- Widest doable interpretation ought to lean to those provisions for the upliftment of ladies and youngsters, as long as such reservation doesn’t exceed fifty p.c of the whole.
Equality of opportunity in matters of public employment (Article 16)
- ‘Nothing during this article shall forestall the State from creating any special There shall be equality of chance for all voters in matters concerning employment or appointment to any workplace below the State
- No national shall, on grounds solely of faith, race, caste, sex, descent, place of birth, residence or any of them, be ineligible for, or discriminated against in respect or, to any employment or workplace below the State
- Nothing during this article shall forestall Parliament from creating any law prescribing, in reference to a category or categories of employment or appointment to associate workplace below the govt of, or any native or different authority at intervals, a State or Union territory, any demand on residence at intervals that State or Union territory before such employment or appointment
- Nothing during this article shall forestall the State from creating any provision for the reservation of appointments or posts in favour of any backward category of voters that, within the opinion of the State, isn’t adequately depicted within the services below the State
- Nothing during this article shall {affect|have an associate effect on} the operation of any law that provides that the incumbent of a workplace in reference to the affairs of any spiritual or denominational establishment or any member of the governance therefrom shall be an individual affirmation of a selected faith or happiness to a selected denominational provision for girls and ’1
Abolition of Untouchability (Article 17)
“Untouchability” is abolished and its application in any kind is impermissible. The social control of associate degree incapacity arising out of “Untouchability” shall be an offense punishable in accordance with the law.’ The word “untouchability” during this clause has been employed in inverted commas that indicate that the word shouldn’t be construed in an exceedingly literal or grammatical sense however with relevance to its historical background within the country.
Under Art. thirty-five of the constitution, Parliament has been given the facility to form laws prohibiting such acts of untouchability.
Abolition of titles (Article 18)
- No title, not being a military or instructional distinction, shall be given by the State.
- No national of the Republic of India shall accept any title from any foreign
- No one that may not a national of the Republic of India shall, whereas he holds any geographical point of profit or trust beneath the State.
- No person holding any geographical point of profit or trust beneath the State shall, whereas not the consent of the President, accept any gift, emolument, or geographical point of any kind from or beneath any foreign ’
In case of Balaji Raghavan Vs Union of Indai
The constitutional validity of 4 awards introduced by the Government of Asian nations that area unit, Bharat Ratna, Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri was challenged before the court. SC upheld the constitutional validity of those awards stating that such awards don’t violate the provisions of Art. eighteen as they are doing not return underneath the extent of titles. It controls they may not be supplementary as a prefix or suffix to the names of the awardees.
Conclusion
The right to equality is taken into account basic feature of the Indian Constitution. It plays a vital role in achieving social and economic justice in our society wherever the upliftment of certain categories is taken into account necessary for our country to flourish. Its stresses the basic unity of people by providing equal opportunities and treatment to any or all. All different privileges and liberties follow from the correct to equality. It provides each individual of the country with all the weather essential for the event of its temperament. Thus, courts that are thought-about the guardians of the Constitution ensure that the correct to equality is construed in the widest connotation.