Consider the following statements:
- 1.Pursuant to the report of H.N. Sanyal Committee, the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971 was passed.
- 2.The Constitution of India empowers the Supreme Court and the High Courts to punish for contempt of themselves.
- 3.The Constitution of India defines Civil Contempt and Criminal Contempt.
- 4.In India, the Parliament is vested with the powers to make laws on Contempt of Court.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (b) 1, 2 and 4
The Contempt of Courts Act, 1971 was enacted on the Sanyal Committee's 1963 report, under Parliament's power in Entry 77 of List I and Entry 14 of List III. Articles 129 and 215 give the Supreme Court and High Courts power to punish contempt of themselves, but the definitions of civil and criminal contempt are in Section 2 of the Act, not the Constitution.
- ✓ 1. A committee under H.N. Sanyal, then Additional Solicitor General, was set up in 1961 and reported in 1963; the 1971 Act was enacted to give effect to its recommendations.
- ✓ 2. Article 129 (Supreme Court) and Article 215 (High Courts) make them courts of record with the power to punish for contempt of themselves.
- ✗ 3. The Constitution does not define the two kinds of contempt. Section 2 of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971 defines 'civil contempt' and 'criminal contempt'.
- ✓ 4. Entry 77 of the Union List (contempt of the Supreme Court) and Entry 14 of the Concurrent List (contempt of other courts) let Parliament legislate on contempt; the 1971 Act is such a law.
Remember · Contempt: power from Articles 129 and 215 (courts of record); definitions from the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971 (Sanyal Committee, 1963); legislative entries — List I Entry 77, List III Entry 14.
Sources
- Law Commission of India, Report No. 274 — Review of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971 (2018) ↗ “The Act 1971 was enacted to give effect to the recommendations contained in Sanyal Committee report of 1963. … The Constitution of India designates the Supreme Court and the High Courts as the Courts of Record. It further grants the Supreme Court and every High Court the power to punish for contempt of itself. … The said Act 1971 inter alia categorises contempt under two heads i.e. ‘civil contempt’ and ‘criminal contempt’, providing thereunder specific definitions for both (Section 2). … can be regulated by legislation by appropriate legislature under Entry 77 of List I and Entry 14 of List III in exercise of which the Parliament has enacted the Act of 1971”
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2022, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·