New Delhi, May 5 -- The Supreme Court's recent invocation of Article 142 to break a legislative deadlock in Tamil Nadu has re-ignited a debate over the judiciary's role in India's constitutional framework. By deeming long-pending state bills as assented-to, the court stepped in to preserve legislative intent but at the cost, some argue, of crossing into executive territory. Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar's sharp response, comparing Article 142 to a "nuclear missile," highlights the growing unease over judicial overreach.

Is Article 142 really such an intrusive instrument? A recent empirical study conducted by IIM Ahmedabad in 2024 reveals that between 1950 and 2023, the Supreme Court referenced the term 'complete justice' of Article 142...