CourtSupreme Court of India
Decision24 April 1973
CollectionConstitutional, Writ & Administrative Law
FormatCRUX Case Note

The Crux

Parliament's amending power is wide, but it does not extend to altering the basic structure or identity of the Constitution.

What the Court held

The thirteen-Judge Bench held that Article 368 does not confer an unlimited power to damage or destroy the Constitution's basic structure. The case remains the foundational authority on constitutional limits to the amending power.

Why it matters

The doctrine supplies the controlling framework whenever constitutional amendment, institutional balance, judicial review or core constitutional identity is in issue.

CRUX practice note

This note isolates the proposition most likely to matter in practice. The precise ratio, factual limits and subsequent treatment of the authority should always be checked against the judgment itself before professional reliance.

Official source

The link below is to the Supreme Court of India’s official website or judgment repository.

Official Supreme Court source His Holiness Kesavananda Bharati Sripadagalvaru v. State of Kerala — official court source The judgment text remains controlling. This CRUX note is an editorial summary for general information.

This Insight is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.

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