Article 21

In the news

• Does a valid visa guarantee entry into India? The Delhi High Court says no 5 October 2026 · The Hindu

  She held a valid business visa. Her husband walked through immigration. She was sent back. Can a court help her?

• Supreme Court: a police-custody confession alone cannot justify NSA detention 30 September 2026 · Indian Express

  Can the state lock up a man already on bail, using only what he allegedly told the police?

• Supreme Court orders Delhi-NCR safety audit in four weeks after a string of rapes 29 September 2026 · The Hindu

  Nirbhaya was 2012. Why is the Supreme Court still asking who answers for a dark park in 2026?

Key facts

• The Delhi High Court (Justice Amit Mahajan) held that a valid visa does not give a foreigner an absolute, enforceable right to enter India. (5 October 2026)
• Section 3(1) of the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025 lets the Centre bar entry on grounds of national security, sovereignty and integrity, foreign relations or public health, and makes the Immigration Officer's decision final and binding. (5 October 2026)
• On 29 September 2026, the Supreme Court (Justices Dipankar Datta and Sheel Nagu) held that a confessional statement cannot be the sole ground for an NSA detention order. (30 September 2026)
• The Court quashed Mulla Afroz's detention over the November 2024 Sambhal violence and imposed ₹10 lakh costs on Uttar Pradesh. (30 September 2026)
• A bench of Justices J.B. Pardiwala and K. Vinod Chandran took suo motu cognisance of Delhi-NCR rape cases on 28 September 2026 and relied on Article 21. (29 September 2026)
• Delhi Police must map vulnerable spots district-wise and audit lighting and CCTV within four weeks. (29 September 2026)

Previous-year questions

1. 2024 · GS1 · 10 marks Distinguish between gender equality, gender equity and women's empowerment. Why is it important to take gender concerns into account in programme design and implementation?
2. 2023 · GS2 · 15 marks "The Constitution of India is a living instrument with capabilities of enormous dynamism. It is a constitution made for a progressive society." Illustrate with special reference to the expanding horizons of the right…
3. 2023 · GS2 · 15 marks Explain the constitutional perspectives of Gender Justice with the help of relevant Constitutional Provisions and case laws.
4. 2022 · GS2 · 10 marks "Right of movement and residence throughout the territory of India are freely available to the Indian citizens, but these rights are not absolute." Comment.
5. 2019 · GS1 · 15 marks What are the continued challenges for women in India against time and space?
6. 2017 · GS2 · 15 marks Examine the scope of Fundamental Rights in the light of the latest judgement of the Supreme Court on Right to Privacy.
7. 2023 · Prelims Consider the following statements: 1. According to the Constitution of India, the Central Government has a duty to protect States from internal disturbances. 2. The Constitution of India exempts the States from…