Article 21 Current Affairs for UPSC

The Supreme Court has held that the right to walk on safe, demarcated footpaths is a fundamental right under Part III of the Constitution, and that pedestrians must take priority over motor vehicles. Delivered while deciding a motor-accident compensation case in which a five-year-old boy was killed by a tanker, the verdict reads this right into Article 19(1)(d) and Article 21, places a binding duty on civic bodies, and asks the government to frame a law. This article explains the judgment, the constitutional basis of the right, the expanding scope of Article 21, the duties of municipal bodies, the road-safety data behind the issue, and the way forward.

The Supreme Court of India, on 29 May 2026, invoked its extraordinary powers under Article 142 to issue binding, nationwide guidelines directing all High Courts to pronounce reserved judgments within three months, decide bail matters the same or next day, and upload verdicts within 24 hours. Linking judicial delay to a violation of the right to personal liberty under Article 21, the Court created an enforceable accountability framework. This article explains reserved judgments, the Article 142 power, the right to a speedy trial, landmark precedents like Anil Rai and Hussainara Khatoon, and the pendency crisis — everything a UPSC aspirant needs in one place.