J U D G M E N T

Dr Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud, CJI Table of Contents A. Background ..................................................................................................... 6 i. Genesis of the Reference ............................................................................... 6 ii. The three reference orders ........................................................................ 12 iii. Scope of the present reference ................................................................. 18 B. Issues ............................................................................................................. 21 C. Article 31C ..................................................................................................... 23 i. Brief History of Article 31-C.......................................................................... 23 ii. The present dispute concerning Article 31-C and rival contentions ..... 35 iii. Precedents concerning invalidation of amendments ............................. 46 iv. Analysis and Conclusions concerning Article 31-C ................................ 75 D. Article 39(b).................................................................................................... 84 i. Submissions .................................................................................................. 84 a. Submissions of the appellants and intervenors ......................................... 84 b. Submissions of the Respondents and Intervenors .................................... 89 ii. Judicial Discipline: Observations in Sanjeev Coke and Mafatlal ........... 95 a. The resurrection of the minority view in Ranganatha Reddy by Sanjeev Coke .................................................................................................................. 96 b. Sanjeev Coke erred in relying on the observations of the minority in Ranganatha Reddy ......................................................................................... 103 c. The error has been carried forward in subsequent decisions .................. 110 d. The single-line observation in Mafatlal is obiter dicta .............................. 112 iii. Interpreting Article 39(b) .......................................................................... 123 a. Article 39(b) as a pre-requisite to protection under Article 31C ............... 123 b. Article 39(b) as a Directive Principle ........................................................ 128 iv. Historical Context: Constituent Assembly Debates .............................. 135 a. Debates about the purpose of Directive Principles .................................. 135 b. Debates about the text of Article 39(b) .................................................... 142 c. Inferences from the discussions in the Constituent Assembly ................. 150 v. Interpretation of Article 39(b) that has been doubted ........................... 156 vi. Correctness of the above interpretation of Article 39(b) ...................... 175 a. The interpretation is inconsistent with the text of Article 39(b)................. 176 b. The interpretation amounts to endorsing a particular economic ideology 180 c. The interpretation is incompatible with the right to property .................... 184 d. Determining the ‘materiality’ and ‘community element’ of the resource ... 186 e. The provision may include the ‘vesting’ of private resources in the state 189 E. Conclusion ................................................................................................ 191

1. The reference to this Constitution Bench raises significant questions about Articles 39(b) and 31-C of the Constitution. Answering the reference has been an adventure through the intricacies of constitutional interpretation and the annals of constitutional history. However, an interpretation of these provisions must involve an understanding of not only their historical context but also the social and economic values which guide the present a