Which Article of the Constitution of India safeguards one's right to marry the person of one's choice?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (b) Article 21
Article 21, the protection of life and personal liberty, safeguards this right. In Shafin Jahan v. Asokan K.M. (2018) the Supreme Court held that an adult's freedom to choose whom to marry forms part of Article 21.
- ✓ (b) Article 21 protects life and personal liberty, and the Supreme Court reads into it the freedom of an adult to choose a life partner.
- ✗ (a) Article 19 gives the freedoms of speech, assembly, association, movement, residence and profession; the Court has named Article 21 as the one that protects the choice of a spouse.
- ✗ (c) Article 25 protects freedom of conscience and the right to profess, practise and propagate religion; it is not the source of the right to marry.
- ✗ (d) Article 29 protects the interests of minorities, their language, script and culture, and is unrelated to choice of spouse.
Remember · An adult's freedom to choose a spouse falls under Article 21 (life and personal liberty): Shafin Jahan v. Asokan K.M., 2018.
📘 Read it in NCERT: Class 11 Indian Constitution at Work, Ch 2 (practise this chapter)
Sources
- NCERT Class 11 · Indian Constitution at Work, Chapter 2 “Article 21: Protection of life and personal liberty—No person shall be deprived of his life or personal liberty except according to procedure established by law.”
- Shafin Jahan v. Asokan K.M., Criminal Appeal No. 366 of 2018, Supreme Court of India (8 March 2018) ↗ “The right to marry a person of one’s choice is integral to Article 21 of the Constitution. The Constitution guarantees the right to life.”
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2019, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·