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25 July 2026

Supreme Court on Jantar Mantar protest and police excesses

The topic involves significant constitutional questions regarding the right to privacy, the limits of state surveillance, and the accountability of security forces, which are core themes in GS2 and GS3.

1 min read Day 1 of 25 2 questions 1 prelims

Notes

  • Supreme Court has agreed to hear two petitions regarding alleged police excesses during the July 20 student protests at Jantar Mantar.
  • The petitions allege the use of excessive force, including the use of pellet guns against unarmed protesters.
  • The Delhi High Court is currently hearing PILs regarding the protest, specifically addressing the legality of continuous police videography and facial recognition-based surveillance.
  • The Centre argues that videography at public demonstrations is an accepted measure for state interest and that the expectation of privacy is limited in public spaces.
  • The petitioner contends that the right to privacy, as recognized by the Supreme Court, extends to citizens participating in public protests.
  • The CRPF is currently verifying reports regarding the use of pellet guns by Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel during the crackdown.
  • The Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) is archiving video and photographic evidence of the crackdown to support legal proceedings for the registration of FIRs against police personnel.

Part of a longer story

This is day 1 of 25 in Protests against police conduct and state security measures, which has been running since 25 July 2026. Reading it whole is usually worth more than reading today alone — the exam asks how something developed.

Questions

  1. Discuss the intersection of the fundamental right to privacy and the state's interest in maintaining public order during demonstrations in public spaces. 150 words
    Attempt this — 150 words in 8 min
    0 / 150 words 8:00
  2. Examine the necessity of police reforms in the context of crowd control protocols and the accountability of security forces during public protests in India. 250 words
    Attempt this — 250 words in 11 min
    0 / 250 words 11:00

Prelims

  1. In the context of the right to privacy, which of the following best reflects the Supreme Court's stance as discussed in recent legal debates regarding public protests?