✅ Answer: C) 34The Supreme Court consists of the Chief Justice of India and not more than 33 other judges — total 34. The original Constitution provided for CJI + 7 judges = 8. Parliament has increased this number over time to the current maximum of 34.

✅ Answer: D) Article 143Article 143 provides for the advisory jurisdiction of the Supreme Court. The President can refer any question of law or fact of public importance to the SC for its opinion. The SC may give its opinion — but it is not binding on the President. This jurisdiction was borrowed from Canada.

✅ Answer: B) 62 yearsHigh Court judges retire at 62 years. Supreme Court judges retire at 65 years. This is an important distinction frequently asked in exams.

✅ Answer: B) Kesavananda Bharati case (1973)The basic structure doctrine was established in Kesavananda Bharati v. State of Kerala (1973) by a 13-judge bench (7:6 majority). Parliament can amend the Constitution but cannot destroy its basic structure.

✅ Answer: B) Wider than SC’s writ jurisdiction under Article 32Article 226 (HC) is wider — HC can issue writs for enforcement of any legal right, not just Fundamental Rights. Article 32 (SC) can only be invoked for enforcement of Fundamental Rights. However, Article 32 is itself a Fundamental Right; Article 226 is a constitutional power.

✅ Answer: C) Third Judges Case (1998)The current collegium system (CJI + 4 senior-most SC judges) was established by the Third Judges Case (1998). The Second Judges Case (1993) established the collegium of CJI + 2 senior-most judges. The NJAC Case (2015) struck down the NJAC and reaffirmed the collegium system.

✅ Answer: B) Justice P.N. BhagwatiJustice P.N. Bhagwati is called the “Father of PIL in India.” He developed PIL in the 1980s along with Justice V.R. Krishna Iyer. PIL relaxes the rule of locus standi — any public-spirited person can file a PIL on behalf of those who cannot approach the court themselves.

✅ Answer: C) The Government of India and one or more States, or between two or more StatesArticle 131 gives the SC exclusive original jurisdiction in disputes between the Government of India and States, or between two or more States. No other court can hear such disputes. This is the SC’s role as arbiter of federal disputes.

✅ Answer: D) Cannot practice in any court in IndiaArticle 124(7) provides that a retired SC judge cannot practice in any court in India. This is to prevent judges from being influenced by hopes of future employment. A retired HC judge can practice in the SC and other HCs (but not in the HC from which they retired).

✅ Answer: C) It violated the independence of judiciary — a basic structure elementThe Supreme Court struck down the NJAC (established by 99th Amendment, 2014) in Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association v. Union of India (2015). The Court held that the independence of judiciary is a basic structure element and the NJAC violated it by giving the executive a role in judicial appointments.