We, the people of India
The Constitution,
readable by anyone.
Every Article in its exact legal text and in plain language — with landmark judgments, amendment history and every cross-reference one tap away.
One library. Every law you actually meet.
The Constitution plus the new criminal codes — same readable format, same linking, same search.
Constitution · 1950
The Constitution of India
The supreme law of India — every Part, Article and Schedule, as amended through the 106th Amendment.
465 articles
BNS · 2023
Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023
India's criminal code — what counts as an offence and how it is punished. Replaced the IPC on 1 July 2024.
358 sections
BNSS · 2023
Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023
The procedure of criminal justice — arrest, investigation, bail, trial and appeal. Replaced the CrPC on 1 July 2024.
531 sections
BSA · 2023
Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023
The law of evidence — what courts may consider and how facts are proved. Replaced the Evidence Act on 1 July 2024.
170 sections
IPC · 1860
Indian Penal Code, 1860
The criminal code of India for 164 years — repealed 1 July 2024, kept here because a century and a half of case law cites it.
575 sections
One page. Five ways to read it.
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Legal
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03Side by side
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04Story
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05ELI5
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medium · Article 21
“Procedure established by law” in Article 21 was read to mean a fair, just and reasonable procedure in—
Every answer links to the provision and the case. This one → Article 21.
Start where your rights live
The provisions most people come looking for.
Meaning lives in case law
Article 21 is one sentence long — privacy, dignity and clean air were read into it by courts. The cases are part of the text's meaning.
2024 · Elections & democracy
Association for Democratic Reforms v. Union of India (Electoral Bonds)
The Supreme Court scrapped the Electoral Bond Scheme, which had let individuals and companies donate secretly to political parties. Judges ruled that voters have a right to know who funds political parties, since hidden funding can influence policies and elections unfairly. The State Bank of India was ordered to reveal who bought and redeemed each bond, making political donations transparent again. This restored public disclosure norms that had existed before the 2018 scheme.
2022 · Gender & personal autonomy
X v. Principal Secretary, Health and Family Welfare Department, Govt. of NCT of Delhi
Before this ruling, unmarried women were often denied abortions after 20 weeks even in circumstances where married women would qualify, because the law's language seemed to favor married women or victims of rape within marriage only. The Supreme Court said this distinction was unfair and unconstitutional, meaning any woman—married or not—can now seek abortion up to 24 weeks under the same rules if she meets the specified conditions. The Court also recognized that a wife's non-consensual sex with her husband can count as 'rape' for the purpose of granting her an abortion, even though it doesn't create a new criminal offence.
2022 · Equality & reservations
Janhit Abhiyan v. Union of India
The Court upheld the government's 2019 law giving a 10% quota in government jobs and college admissions to poorer people from the general (non-SC/ST/OBC) category based on income and asset limits. This means the long-standing rule that total reservations should not exceed 50% is no longer treated as absolute. For ordinary citizens, especially economically weaker upper-caste and other unreserved-category families, this opened a new route to reserved seats, while SC/ST/OBC citizens remain covered by their existing separate quotas.
2020 · Speech & expression
Anuradha Bhasin v. Union of India
This judgment made clear that shutting down the internet is not something the government can do indefinitely or in secret. Authorities must now justify such restrictions, publish the orders, and review them periodically, and courts can strike them down if they are excessive. It affirmed that using the internet to speak, work, or do business is part of the fundamental rights every citizen enjoys under the Constitution.
2020 · Gender & personal autonomy
Secretary, Ministry of Defence v. Babita Puniya
This case gave women officers in the Indian Army the right to permanent careers and command positions on the same footing as men, ending a practice where women could only serve for a limited period without long-term career prospects or leadership roles. The Court rejected the government's justifications that women were unsuited for command due to physical or social reasons, calling these outdated stereotypes. As a result, hundreds of women officers became eligible for permanent commission and command postings across the Army.
2018 · Religion, dignity & identity
Indian Young Lawyers Association v. State of Kerala (Sabarimala)
The Supreme Court ruled that Sabarimala temple could not bar women of menstruating age (10-50) from entering, striking down a centuries-old custom. The Court said such exclusion amounted to discrimination and violated women's constitutional rights to equality and worship. The judgment sparked massive protests in Kerala and led to review petitions, with the issue eventually being referred to a larger nine-judge bench for reconsideration of broader questions on religious freedom versus individual rights.
Law in the news, explained
All articles →Build on the law
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curl -H "x-api-key: smv_live_…" \ samvidhan.co.in/api/v1/articles/21Plans & documentation →
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Last sync: 2026-07-13
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