Article 15 of Indian Constitution: Clauses, Landmark Judgements & Importance for Law Exams

Article 15 of Indian Constitution prohibits discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex and place of birth. Check Article 15 clauses, exceptions, reservation provisions, amendments and importance in AIBE, CLAT and other law entrance exams.

Article 15 of the Indian Constitution is an important provision under the Right to Equality. It prohibits discrimination against citizens on grounds such as religion, race, caste, sex and place of birth. At the same time, the Article allows the State to make special provisions for certain groups, including women, children, Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBCs) and Economically Weaker Sections (EWS).

The Constitution of India guarantees fundamental rights to citizens in order to maintain equality in society. Understanding Article 15 is important for students, law aspirants and those who seek to understand fundamental rights, equality and reservation provisions in India. There are several key clauses, exceptions and the significance of Article 15 that everyone must be aware of in order to understand the rationale of the article. Hence, let us explore Article 15 and landmark judgments and relevance for the entrance examination such as CLAT or certification examination, i.e. AIBE.

What Article 15 of the Constitution of India Says?

As per the Constitution of India, Article 15 reads: "The State shall not discriminate against any citizen on grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth or any of them. Further, no citizen shall, on grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth or any of them, be subject to any disability, liability, restriction or condition". 

In simpler terms, Article 15 of the Indian Constitution prohibits discrimination against any citizen only on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth. It is part of Part III of the Indian Constitution, which deals with Fundamental Rights, and forms part of the Right to Equality. The five grounds specifically mentioned in Article 15(1) are:

• Religion
• Race
• Caste
• Sex
• Place of birth.

The use of the word “only” is the point of attention here. Article 15 prohibits discrimination based solely on these specified grounds. The provision, however, does not prevent the State from making classifications or special provisions under the later clauses of Article 15.

Six Clauses Under Article 15 Explained

Article 15 contains six main clauses that explain the scope of the right to non-discrimination. These have been explained below:

Why is Article 15 Important?

Article 15 of the Indian Constitution is important because it includes the principle of non-discrimination with provisions that allow the State to consider social and educational disadvantage. The Article protects citizens against discrimination on specified grounds while allowing special provisions for groups that need additional support.

While Article 15(1) establishes the general prohibition against discrimination, clauses 15(3) to 15(6) allow the State to make specific provisions for socially and educationally backward classes. Therefore, Article 15 is not limited to preventing discrimination. The later clauses also provide a basis to protect the disadvantaged sections of society.

Is Article 15 Important for Law Aspirants? 

Yes, Article 15 of the Indian Constitution is a highly important article for law aspirants. It is particularly important because it forms part of the Right to Equality and is frequently studied alongside Articles 14, 16, 17 and 18.

Also Read: Article 21 of Indian Constitution

Law Entrance Exams Where Article 15 Is Part of Syllabus

Article 14 is asked across almost every major law entrance exam in India. Students who are preparing for the below mentioned law exams must consider Article 15 of Indian Constitution as a high priority: 

• CLAT (Common Law Admission Test): Both CLAT UG and CLAT PG frequently feature comprehension-based passages on Article 15. 
• AILET (All India Law Entrance Test): Conducted by NLU Delhi, this exam tests logical and conceptual understanding of Constitutional Law, where Article 15 scenario-based questions are common.
• MHCET Law / SLAT / LSAT India: State-level and private university law entrances regularly ask objective-type questions mapping the basic provisions of Article 15. 

Landmark Supreme Court Cases on Article 15

Below are some Landmark Supreme Court Judgement for Article 15: 

1. State of Madras v. Champakam Dorairajan (1951): In this case, the Madras government issued a Communal G.O. (Government Order) that reserved seats in medical and engineering colleges based on caste proportions. The Supreme Court struck down the order, holding that Fundamental Rights (Article 15) outweigh Directive Principles of State Policy. 

2. M.R. Balaji v. State of Mysore (1962): In this case, the Mysore government reserved 68% of seats in medical and engineering colleges for backward classes and Scheduled Castes/Tribes. The Supreme Court struck down the 68% reservation, saying caste cannot be the sole or dominant criterion to determine backwardness.

3. Indra Sawhney v. Union of India (1992): In this case, the Mandal Commission report provided 27% reservation for Other Backwards Classes (OBCs). A 9-judge bench heavily impacted Article 15 jurisprudence. The court upheld the 27% reservation for OBCs but excluded the "Creamy Layer".

Also Read: Article 19 of Indian Constitution