Kesavananda Bharati Passed Away

• 07 Sep 2020

• Kesavananda Bharati, the petitioner in the historic Fundamental Rights case which prevented the nation from slipping into a totalitarian regime, has passed away.
• The “Kesavananda Bharati versus State of Kerala” case is unique. The case was heard by a Bench of 13 judges — the largest formed in the Supreme Court.
• The Kesavananda Bharati judgment introduced
  • the Basic Structure doctrine which limited Parliament’s power to make drastic amendments that may affect the core values enshrined in the Constitution like secularism and federalism.
  • The verdict upheld the power of the Supreme Court to judicially review laws of Parliament.
  • It evolved the concept of separation of powers among the three branches of governance — legislative, executive and the judiciary.