LANDMARK CASE
Bijoe Emmanuel v. State of Kerala
(1986) 3 SCC 615 · Supreme Court of India · Constitutional law
At a glance
- Citation: (1986) 3 SCC 615
- Court: Supreme Court of India
- Area of law: Constitutional law
- In one line: No. Standing respectfully is enough. The expulsion violated Articles 19(1)(a) and 25.
1 Facts
Three children of the Jehovah's Witness faith were expelled for not singing the national anthem, though they stood respectfully.
2 Issue
Can students be compelled to sing the anthem against their faith?
3 What the court decided
No. Standing respectfully is enough. The expulsion violated Articles 19(1)(a) and 25.
4 Why it matters
A classic case on freedom of conscience and the right to silence.
5 Think about it
How does this case protect minority viewpoints?
6 Analyse it yourself
Read the full judgment from an official source or a law database, then brief it in seven steps: facts, issues, arguments, decision, ratio, obiter and significance. Always check the citation before you rely on it.
7 More cases on Constitutional law
- A.K. Gopalan v. State of Madras AIR 1950 SC 27
- ADM Jabalpur v. Shivkant Shukla (1976) 2 SCC 521
- Air India v. Nergesh Meerza (1981) 4 SCC 335
- Ajay Hasia v. Khalid Mujib Sehravardi (1981) 1 SCC 722
- Anuj Garg v. Hotel Association of India (2008) 3 SCC 1
- Anuradha Bhasin v. Union of India (2020) 3 SCC 637
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A short teaching summary for students. Educational content only, not legal advice.