Consider the following statements :
- 1.Pursuant to the report of H.N. Sanyal Committee, the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971 was passed.
- 2.The Constitution of India empowers the Supreme Court and the High Courts to punish for contempt of themselves.
- 3.The Constitution of India defines Civil Contempt and Criminal Contempt.
- 4.In India, the Parliament is vested with the powers to make laws on Contempt of Court.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
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Answer: B. Statement 1 is correct: the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971 followed the H.N. Sanyal Committee (1961). Statement 2 is correct: Articles 129 and 215 make the Supreme Court and High Courts courts of record with power to punish contempt. Statement 3 is wrong: civil and criminal contempt are defined in Section 2 of the 1971 Act, not the Constitution. Statement 4 is correct: Parliament can legislate on contempt (Entry 77, List I and Entry 14, List III). So 1, 2 and 4.
Watch for: Students assume the Constitution defines contempt because it mentions the power; the definitions are in the 1971 Act.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Wrong because statement 4 is also correct.
- C. Wrong because the Constitution does not define civil and criminal contempt.
- D. Wrong because statement 3 is the only incorrect one.
Source to check: Constitution of India, Articles 129 and 215, Seventh Schedule List I Entry 77 and List III Entry 14; Contempt of Courts Act, 1971, Section 2
Answer from the official UPSC key. Written and fact-checked by AI against the official key. Spotted a mistake? Report it.