The Supreme Court reserved its verdict on petitions challenging the inclusion of “socialist” and “secular” in the Indian Constitution’s Preamble, scheduled for November 25. CJI Sanjiv Khanna emphasized secularism as a core constitutional aspect and noted prior judicial review of the 42nd Amendment, rejecting claims of its unconstitutionality during the Emergency.
The Supreme Court, today (21st October) addressing challenges to the 42nd Amendment’s inclusion of “socialist” and “secular” in the Preamble, emphasized these terms’ relevance in the Indian context rather than solely from a Western view. Justices questioned the amendment’s legitimacy due to lack of parliamentary debate during the national emergency, scheduling further hearings for November.