Analyze the concept of Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in Indian legal history: 1. PIL was introduced through judicial innovation in the early 1980s, relaxing the traditional rule of locus standi where only an aggrieved party could approach the court. 2. Justice P.N. Bhagwati played a pioneering role in expanding the horizon of PIL to enable socially disadvantaged groups to seek constitutional remedies. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

💡 Solution & Explanation

Both statements are correct. Public Interest Litigation revolutionized Indian jurisprudence in the late 1970s and early 1980s by relaxing the strict traditional rule of locus standi, permitting any public-spirited individual or organization to file a petition on behalf of those unable to approach the court due to poverty or disability. Justice P.N. Bhagwati and Justice V.R. Krishna Iyer were pioneers who shaped this movement, transforming the Supreme Court into an instrument of social justice. PIL cases frequently address human rights violations, environmental degradation, and bonded labor issues.