Starting from inventing the 'basic structure' doctrine, the judiciary has played a highly pro active role in ensuring that India develops into a thriving democracy. In light of the statement, evaluate the role played by judicial activism in achieving the ideals of democracy.

Use the NEET-UG protest order as a current instance of judicial activism through Article 142, weighed against the limits the Court itself has set.

• On 1 September 2026 a Bench led by CJI Surya Kant used Article 142 to quash FIRs against NEET-UG 2026 protesters in every State and UT and barred fresh FIRs over the same events.
• It allowed the Delhi Police to proceed against 2,873 persons only for bodily harm or property damage, and directed the Centre to frame a compensation policy within three months.
• Critics say 'complete justice' has no fixed standard; the SCBA case (1998) held Article 142 cannot supplant substantive law, and the Bench said its order is not a binding precedent.

Use it as a current example of the Supreme Court supervising executive implementation over years, to weigh gains in enforcement against concerns about courts framing administrative measures.

• In S. Rajaseekaran v. Union of India, a road safety case monitored since 2012, the Supreme Court on 28 September 2026 told all States and UTs to block vehicle services for unpaid e-challans.
• The directions are administrative in detail: impounding after random checks, withholding fitness and PUC certificates, blocking RC renewal and ownership transfer, and suspending licences for multiple violations.
• The order builds on a September 2024 Bench direction to States to implement Section 136A, added to the Motor Vehicles Act in 2019, and shifts the focus from detecting offences to recovering fines.