People’s Union for Civil Liberties v. Union of India (NOTA)
Supreme Court of India(2013) 10 SCC 1Bench: Supreme Court of India
Related sections: Article 19(1)(a), Rule 49-O
The Court held that secrecy of the voter’s choice extends to the decision to reject all candidates and directed introduction of NOTA. The holding reflects the result and the principal reasons accepted by the court, while recognising that separate opinions may have used different reasoning. In recording this field for People’s Union for Civil Liberties v. Union of India (NOTA), the emphasis is on the operative legal controversy, the constitutional or statutory setting, and the precise institutional consequence of the decision rather than on later popular summaries. The description should be read with the reported judgment, because landmark decisions often contain several concurring or dissenting opinions, different reasons, and later qualifications. For database use, this note separates held from broader commentary: it identifies the controlling principle, the procedural posture, and the relief actually granted or refused without adding unverified facts. In recording this field for People’s Union for Civil Liberties v. Union of India (NOTA), the emphasis is on the operative legal controversy, the constitutional or statutory setting, and the precise institutional consequence of the decision rather than on later popular summaries. The description should be read with the reported judgment, because landmark decisions often contain several concurring or dissenting opinions, different reasons, and later qualifications. For database use, this note separates held from broader commentary: it identifies the controlling principle, the procedural posture, and the relief actually granted or refused without adding unverified facts.