Right to Privacy is protected as an intrinsic part of Right to Life and Personal Liberty. Which of the following in the Constitution of India correctly and appropriately imply the above statement ?

The correct answer is C, Article 21 and the freedoms guaranteed in Part III. The Supreme Court has held privacy to be part of the right to life and personal liberty in Article 21 and of the other freedoms in Part III. In Justice K. S. Puttaswamy v. Union of India (2017), a nine-judge bench unanimously declared privacy a fundamental right, overruling the earlier views in M. P. Sharma (1954) and Kharak Singh (1962). The Court said privacy flows mainly from Article 21 and also from the freedoms of Article 19, and that any restriction must be lawful, necessary and proportionate. Option A is wrong because Article 14 guarantees equality before law, and the 42nd Amendment did not create a right to privacy. Option B is wrong because Article 17 abolishes untouchability, and Directive Principles are not enforceable rights. Option D is wrong because Article 24 bars child labour in hazardous work, and the 44th Amendment is about other matters, such as removing property from the fundamental rights. Exam tip: Puttaswamy (2017), nine judges: privacy is a fundamental right under Article 21 and Part III.