Constitution as a Living Document | Class 11 Political Science Notes

Review of the Constitution

In the late 1990s, efforts were made to review the entire Constitution. In 2000, the Government of India appointed a commission under retired Chief Justice Justice Venkatachaliah to review the Constitution's working. Despite political controversies and boycotts by opposition parties, the commission upheld the Basic Structure doctrine and did not propose changes that would endanger it. The Judiciary has also contributed to informal amendments through interpretations, such as limiting reservations to 50%, introducing the 'creamy layer' concept for Other Backward Classes, and clarifying rights related to education and minority institutions. These judicial interpretations have effectively evolved the Constitution without formal amendments, demonstrating the dynamic nature of the Constitution.

📊 Diagram: See figure_20: It's all wrong. First they say that an amendment requires consensus and now we see that Judges change the whole meaning of the Constitution.

🧪 Activity: Check your progress: Statements about the Basic Structure doctrine and judiciary's role are evaluated.

🔗 Connection: Prepares for the concluding section on the Constitution as a living document.