CLAT PG Constitutional Law Important Topics for 2027

The CLAT PG constitutional law important topics for 2027 are fundamental rights (Articles 14, 19, 21, 22 and 32), the basic structure doctrine and the amending power under Article 368, reservation under Articles 15 and 16, federalism and the Governor’s role (Articles 200, 201 and 356), and the Supreme Court’s constitutional rulings of 2024 to 2026. CLAT PG 2027 is on Sunday, 6 December 2026: 120 passage-based questions in 120 minutes, with +1 for a correct answer and minus 0.25 for a wrong one. Constitutional Law and Administrative Law are two of the 13 syllabus subjects.

How constitutional law is tested in CLAT PG 2027

The Consortium’s syllabus says the paper presents extracts from “significant court decisions”, statutes or regulations, and asks you to identify the issues, summarise the passage and apply your knowledge of the law. Expect a long judgment extract, then questions on the holding, the Article relied on, the precedent followed or overruled, and application to new facts. So constitutional law for CLAT PG means the core Articles, the ratio of the landmark cases and the line of authority between them.

CLAT PG constitutional law important topics: the Article-wise list

• Article 12 and 13: what is “State” (Ajay Hasia, 1981; Pradeep Kumar Biswas, 2002) and the meaning of “law”.
• Article 14: the old reasonable classification test (intelligible differentia plus rational nexus) and the newer arbitrariness doctrine from E.P. Royappa (1974), used in Shayara Bano (2017).
• Articles 15 and 16: 15(4), 15(5) (private unaided institutions), 15(6) and 16(6) (EWS, 103rd Amendment, 2019), 16(4), 16(4A) (promotion) and 16(4B) (carry-forward).
• Article 19: the six freedoms and reasonable restrictions; Shreya Singhal (2015) struck down Section 66A of the IT Act.
• Articles 21, 21A and 22: the widest source of new rights; Article 22 on arrest safeguards.
• Article 32 and 226: the five writs, locus standi and PIL; Article 32 is itself part of the basic structure.
• Directive Principles: Articles 37, 39(b), 44 and 48A.
• Union and States: Articles 72 (pardon), 74 (aid and advice), 123 (ordinances), 200 and 201 (assent), 246, 356 and 300A.
• Article 368: amending procedure and its limits. Also note the 106th Amendment, 2023 (women’s reservation, operative after delimitation).

Landmark judgments: classic list with one-line holdings

• Kesavananda Bharati v. State of Kerala (1973): 13 judges, 7:6. Parliament can amend any part of the Constitution but cannot destroy its basic structure.
• Maneka Gandhi v. Union of India (1978): “procedure established by law” under Article 21 must be fair, just and reasonable; Articles 14, 19 and 21 are read together.
• Minerva Mills v. Union of India (1980): limited amending power is itself a basic feature.
• Indra Sawhney v. Union of India (1992): OBC reservation upheld with the creamy layer exclusion and an ordinary 50% ceiling.
• S.R. Bommai v. Union of India (1994): Article 356 proclamations are open to judicial review; majority is tested on the floor; secularism is basic.
• K.S. Puttaswamy v. Union of India (2017): privacy is a fundamental right.
• In re Article 370 (December 2023): the abrogation of Article 370 upheld.

Recent Supreme Court constitutional rulings, 2024 to 2026

Recent rulings are among the CLAT PG constitutional law important topics most likely to appear:

• Association for Democratic Reforms v. Union of India (15 February 2024): the electoral bond scheme struck down for violating voters’ right to information under Article 19(1)(a).
• Sita Soren v. Union of India (4 March 2024): seven judges held that Articles 105 and 194 give no immunity to a legislator who takes a bribe for a vote or speech, overruling P.V. Narasimha Rao (1998).
• State of Punjab v. Davinder Singh (1 August 2024): 6:1, States may sub-classify Scheduled Castes for reservation, overruling E.V. Chinnaiah (2005).
• Property Owners Association v. State of Maharashtra (5 November 2024): a nine-judge majority held that not every privately owned resource is a “material resource of the community” under Article 39(b).
• State of Tamil Nadu v. Governor of Tamil Nadu (8 April 2025) and the Presidential Reference opinion (20 November 2025): the five-judge bench in the Reference opined that courts cannot fix timelines for the Governor or President under Articles 200 and 201 and there is no “deemed assent”, but a limited mandamus can issue for prolonged, unexplained inaction.
• Dr. Jaya Thakur v. Government of India (30 January 2026): menstrual health is part of Article 21.
• Harish Rana v. Union of India (11 March 2026): withdrawal of clinically assisted nutrition and hydration from a patient in a permanent vegetative state allowed, applying Common Cause (2018) on passive euthanasia.

For a fuller set of 2026 rulings, read 30 important Supreme Court judgments for CLAT PG 2027.

Administrative law: the short list

• Delegated legislation: In re Delhi Laws Act (1951): the legislature cannot delegate its essential legislative function.
• Natural justice: hear the other side and no one a judge in his own cause; A.K. Kraipak v. Union of India (1969) applied it to administrative action.
• Review: Wednesbury and proportionality (Om Kumar, 2001).
• Promissory estoppel: Motilal Padampat Sugar Mills (1979).
• State liability: Kasturi Lal (1965) on sovereign functions, and Nilabati Behera (1993) on compensation for custodial death as a public law remedy.

Likely question angles and how to answer them

1. Identify the provision: “aid and advice” points to Article 74 or 163.
2. Trace the precedent: which case did the court overrule? Keep a one-page list of overruled cases (Gopalan, ADM Jabalpur, Chinnaiah, Narasimha Rao).
3. Bench strength: a smaller bench cannot overrule a larger one.
4. Apply to new facts: the most common question type. Practise it in timed conditions with the free CLAT PG 2027 online mock test or the two full-length CLAT PG mocks, ₹149.

Frequently asked questions

What are the CLAT PG constitutional law important topics for 2027?

Fundamental rights under Articles 14, 19, 21, 22 and 32, the basic structure doctrine, reservation, the Governor’s assent and federalism, and the Supreme Court’s constitutional rulings from 2024 to 2026. Add Administrative Law basics, because the same judgments test both subjects.

Which Articles are most important for CLAT PG?

Articles 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 19, 21, 22, 32, 226 and 368 are the core; for federal questions add 74, 200, 201 and 356. Learn the case that defines each one.

Are 2026 Supreme Court judgments important for CLAT PG 2027?

Yes. The syllabus says passages come from significant court decisions, and recent rulings are natural material for them.

Is administrative law a separate subject in CLAT PG 2027?

Yes. Administrative Law is one of the 13 subjects in the official CLAT 2027 PG syllabus, but its passages overlap heavily with constitutional law, so revise the two together.

Quick quiz

Sources

• Constitution of India: Articles 12 to 32, 37, 39(b), 72, 74, 105, 123, 200, 201, 226, 246, 300A, 356, 368
• Consortium of NLUs, CLAT 2027 PG syllabus and pattern
• Kesavananda Bharati (1973); Maneka Gandhi (1978); Minerva Mills (1980); Indra Sawhney (1992); S.R. Bommai (1994); K.S. Puttaswamy (2017)
• Association for Democratic Reforms (2024); Sita Soren (2024); Davinder Singh (2024); Property Owners Association (2024)
• Presidential Reference under Article 143 (2025); Jaya Thakur (2026); Harish Rana (2026); In re Delhi Laws Act (1951); A.K. Kraipak (1969)

Revise the CLAT PG constitutional law important topics with the CLAT PG Crash Course Part 1.

This page is for education and general information, not legal advice for a specific case. Law as on 29 October 2026.