---
title: "Shankari Prasad Case (1951): Meaning & Verdict"
description: "Shankari Prasad v. Union of India (1951) affirmed Parliament's authority to amend fundamental rights, impacting constitutional law in India."
url: "https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/glossary/shankari-prasad-case-1951"
---

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Model Diplomat Research Team · Last reviewed June 22, 2026

TL;DR

- Shankari Prasad v.
- Union of India (1951) was the Indian Supreme Court ruling that upheld Parliament's power under Article 368 to amend fundamental rights, holding that "law" in Article 13(2) excludes constitutional amendments.
- What was the central legal question in Shankari Prasad v. Union of India?
- How does Shankari Prasad relate to the Kesavananda Bharati judgment?
- Why was the First Amendment of 1951 enacted, and how did it connect to this case?

[Civil Service & Diplomatic Exams](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/civil-services/glossary)Updated June 22, 2026

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## Timeline

1. 5 October 1951

   Union of India\*\*, decided by the Supreme Court of India on and reported as AIR 1951 SC 458, was the first constitutional challenge to Parliament's power to…

2. 18 June 1951

   The case arose directly from the Constitution (First Amendment) Act, 1951, which had been enacted by the Provisional Parliament on to insert Articles 31A an…

3. 24 April 1973

   State of Tamil Nadu\*\* (2007), a nine-judge Bench held that laws placed in the Ninth Schedule after —the date of the Kesavananda judgment—are open to judicial…

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Example

In 1951, several zamindars led by Shankari Prasad Singh Deo challenged the Constitution (First Amendment) Act before the Supreme Court of India, which upheld Parliament's power to abridge the fundamental right to property.

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