SSC CGL Polity · Government Structure — Parliament, Judiciary and Constitutional Bodies
Supreme Court and High Courts
The Supreme Court's Articles and jurisdiction, the High Courts and the five writs, and the judges and judgments SSC has named, each with its year.
Why this matters
Thirty-two questions in the bank, the most on any page of this chapter: 16 from the 2023 shifts, ten from the 2024 shifts and six from the 2025 shifts, and six of them HARD. The hard ones name a 2021 judgment; the rest give an Article and ask what it does, so the Article table answers most of the page.
Concept 1 of 3: Supreme Court: Articles and jurisdiction
Definition
The facts:
- The Court came into being on 26 January 1950, replacing the Federal Court. India has an integrated and independent judiciary, not the dual system of the USA.
- Strength: the Chief Justice and 33 other judges (since 2019). Art 124(2): judges are appointed by the President.
- Art 131: original jurisdiction over disputes between the Centre and States, or between States. Inter-State water disputes are kept out (Art 262).
- Art 137: the Court may review its own judgments. Art 139A (added by the 42nd Amendment): it may transfer cases between High Courts.
- Art 140: Parliament may give it ancillary powers. Art 141: its law binds all courts. Art 142: orders for complete justice.
- Art 146(3): its expenses, including staff pensions, are charged on the Consolidated Fund of India.
- Art 247: Parliament may set up additional courts for its own laws.
Practice this conceptself-check · 5 quick reps
The same idea in a real exam question:
Example 1 · Government Structure — Parliament, Judiciary and Constitutional Bodies · Supreme Court and High Courts
Water disputes are not under Article 131
Concept 2 of 3: High Courts and writs
Definition
The High Courts:
- Articles 214 to 231 (Part VI). There are 25 High Courts; the 25th, for Andhra Pradesh, opened in 2019.
- Art 226: High Courts issue writs, like the Supreme Court under Art 32. Both together hold the power of judicial review.
- Art 222: the President transfers a judge from one High Court to another, after consulting the Chief Justice of India.
- Anna Chandy became the first woman High Court judge, in Kerala (1959). The Delhi High Court served Himachal Pradesh until 1971.
- Public Interest Litigation began in the USA; in India Justices Bhagwati and Krishna Iyer developed it.
The five writs:
- Habeas corpus: produce the person you have detained.
- Mandamus: do your public duty.
- Prohibition: a lower court must stop acting beyond its jurisdiction.
- Certiorari: quash an order a lower court has already passed.
- Quo warranto: by what authority do you hold this public office?
| Writ | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Habeas corpus | Produce the detained person |
| Mandamus | Perform your public duty |
| Prohibition | Stop exceeding your jurisdiction |
| Certiorari | The order already passed is quashed |
| Quo warranto | By what authority do you hold office |
Practice this conceptself-check · 5 quick reps
The same idea in a real exam question:
Example 2 · Government Structure — Parliament, Judiciary and Constitutional Bodies · Supreme Court and High Courts
Article 13, not 23, makes laws void
Concept 3 of 3: Judges and landmark cases
Definition
Landmark cases in order:
- Berubari Union (1960), Kesavananda Bharati (1973), S. R. Bommai (1994).
- Sabarimala (2018): women of all ages allowed into the temple, 4 to 1; Justice Indu Malhotra dissented.
Cases of 2021 that SSC has asked:
- State of Kerala v. Leesamma Joseph (June 2021): persons with disabilities have a right to reservation in promotion.
- Laxmibai Chandaragi v. State of Karnataka (February 2021): when two adults marry, the family's consent is not needed.
- Devilal v. State of Madhya Pradesh (February 2021): an offender aged between 16 and 18 was sent to the Juvenile Justice Board.
Chief Justices: N. V. Ramana became the 48th CJI in April 2021; Sanjiv Khanna the 51st in November 2024, after D. Y. Chandrachud. Justice Arun Palli became Chief Justice of the Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court in 2025.
Practice this conceptself-check · 4 quick reps
The same idea in a real exam question:
Example 3 · Government Structure — Parliament, Judiciary and Constitutional Bodies · Supreme Court and High Courts
Khanna took office in 2024
Summary — formulas & gotchas at a glance
A revision cheat-sheet for the formulas and gotchas above. Click any concept name to jump back to its full explanation.
Reference tables (3)
High Courts and writs5 rows
| Writ | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Habeas corpus | Produce the detained person |
| Mandamus | Perform your public duty |
| Prohibition | Stop exceeding your jurisdiction |
| Certiorari | The order already passed is quashed |
| Quo warranto | By what authority do you hold office |
Watch out for (3)
- Water disputes are not under Article 131→ Supreme Court: Articles and jurisdiction
- Article 13, not 23, makes laws void→ High Courts and writs
- Khanna took office in 2024→ Judges and landmark cases
Test yourself on Government Structure — Parliament, Judiciary and Constitutional Bodies
20 past SSC CGL questions from this chapter, timed at 12 minutes and marked the way the exam marks it. You see your score and every answer the moment you finish. Free to start.