JUSTICE K.S. PUTTASWAMY V. UNION OF INDIA (2017): EVOLUTION OF THE RIGHT TO PRIVACY IN INDIA

The 2017 landmark judgment in Justice K.S. Puttaswamy v. Union of India marks a historic constitutional renaissance in Indian jurisprudence. Triggered by a retired judge’s challenge to the biometric Aadhaar project, the Union of India argued that privacy was not a guaranteed fundamental right, relying on antiquated post-independence precedents. Overturning decades of state-centric rulings, a unanimous nine-judge bench of the Supreme Court declared the Right to Privacy an intrinsic part of the Right to Life and Personal Liberty under Article 21. The court recognized privacy as an inalienable, natural right essential for human dignity and autonomy, classifying it into spatial, informational, and bodily dimensions. This case comment critically analyzes the evolution of privacy jurisprudence in India. It examines the court’s legal reasoning, evaluates the structural "proportionality test" established to counter state overreach, and assesses the judgment's enduring impact on digital data protection and individual liberty.