Question

Which of the following Cases held the right of privacy as a fundamental right?
A. Menka Gandhi v.s. Union of India
B. Kharak Singh Case
C. K. S. Puttaswamy (Justice Retd.) v. Union of India
D. A.K. Gopalan v. Union of India

Answer 1

Hint: Aadhar linked multiple identities as directed by the central government was seen as a breach of privacy of the individuals. Multiple petitions were filed before the Supreme Court to recognize the right to privacy as a fundamental right. one of the Petitioners was former Karnataka High Court Judge, K.S. Puttaswamy.

Complete answer:
K.S. Puttaswamy holds the right to privacy as a fundamental right. In the year 2017, the Supreme Court held that the Right to Privacy is a Fundamental Right under Article 21 (Right to life and liberty) of the Indian Constitution. It held it a natural right stating that it inheres in all-natural persons. The nine judges’ bench of the Supreme Court ruled this judgment. The constitution has provided the seven fundamental rights originally (now six excluding the right to Property). Privacy is often considered as a cause of concern because of unregulated access to data, constant surveillance, unauthorized data collection, and data mining, etc. The online available private details related to an individual’s personal lifestyles, likes, and dislikes have resulted in the spread of fake news in the country.

Hence, the correct answer is option (C).

Note:The right to privacy has brought transparency and openness in government data managing policies, surveillance projects. This has changed how the government views its citizen’s privacy. The government also appointed a committee headed by Justice B.N. Srikrishna for Data protection. The committee had a wide range of recommendations to strengthen data privacy in India. The IT Act 2000 also provides safeguards for data breaches from computer systems.