Crisis of the Constitutional Order

About this unit

The early 1970s saw growing tension between the government and other institutions, an economic crisis, and large popular protests. This unit covers the conflicts with the judiciary over Parliament's power to amend the Constitution, the students' movements in Gujarat and Bihar, the declaration of a national Emergency in June 1975, its effects on rights and institutions, and the 1977 elections that brought the first non-Congress government to power at the Centre. It helps you understand the importance of constitutional safeguards and civil liberties in a democracy.

Key ideas

• Inflation, drought, the oil price rise of 1973 and unemployment created economic discontent.
• The Supreme Court's Kesavananda Bharati judgment (1973) gave the doctrine of the “basic structure” of the Constitution.
• Students' movements in Gujarat and Bihar in 1974; Jayaprakash Narayan called for “Total Revolution”.
• The Allahabad High Court set aside Indira Gandhi's election in June 1975.
• The Emergency was declared on 25 June 1975 under Article 352 on the ground of “internal disturbance”.
• The Janata Party won the 1977 Lok Sabha election, and Morarji Desai became Prime Minister.

How to prepare

Make a timeline from 1973 to 1980. Remember the key cases, the names of leaders of the movements, and the constitutional changes made by the 42nd and 44th Amendments. Questions often ask about lessons of the Emergency and the reasons for the Congress's defeat in 1977.