Which of the following are recognised powers and functions of the Supreme Court of India? 1. Original jurisdiction in a dispute between the Government of India and one or more States. 2. Power to hear appeals from the High Courts. 3. Power to pass decrees and orders for doing complete justice in any matter before it. 4. Power to render advisory opinions to the President of India in matters of law or fact. Select the correct answer using the code given below.

Difficulty: Medium

Correct Answer: 1, 2, 3 and 4

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
This question tests your understanding of the wide jurisdiction of the Supreme Court of India. The Supreme Court is not only the highest court of appeal but also the guardian of the Constitution and a key adviser to the President in certain situations. It exercises original, appellate, advisory, and extraordinary powers. To answer correctly, you must know which of the listed functions actually belong to the Supreme Court under the Constitution.


Given Data / Assumptions:

    Statement 1 refers to the original jurisdiction of the Supreme Court in disputes between the Government of India and one or more States.
    Statement 2 refers to the appellate jurisdiction of the Supreme Court over High Court decisions.
    Statement 3 refers to the power of the Court to pass decrees and orders to do complete justice in any case before it.
    Statement 4 refers to the advisory jurisdiction where the President seeks the opinion of the Court on questions of law or fact.
    We must check whether each of these powers is actually granted by the Constitution of India.


Concept / Approach:
The Constitution clearly lays down the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court in different articles. Article 131 provides original jurisdiction in disputes between the Union and States. Articles 132 to 136 provide for various kinds of appellate jurisdiction. Article 142 empowers the Court to pass such decrees or orders as are necessary for doing complete justice in any cause or matter. Article 143 gives the President the power to refer questions of law or fact to the Court for advisory opinions. By matching each statement with these provisions, we can see whether all of them are correct.


Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Check Statement 1. Under Article 131, the Supreme Court has exclusive original jurisdiction in disputes between the Government of India and one or more States, and in certain disputes between States. Hence Statement 1 is correct.Step 2: Check Statement 2. Articles 132 to 136 provide for appeals to the Supreme Court from High Courts in civil, criminal, constitutional, and other matters. Therefore the Court indeed has the power to hear appeals from High Courts, so Statement 2 is correct.Step 3: Check Statement 3. Article 142 empowers the Supreme Court to pass any decree or order necessary for doing complete justice in any matter pending before it. This is a unique and important power of the Court, so Statement 3 is correct.Step 4: Check Statement 4. Under Article 143, the President may refer questions of law or fact of public importance to the Supreme Court for its advisory opinion. The Court may then render advice, which is not binding but is highly persuasive, so Statement 4 is correct.


Verification / Alternative check:
Standard polity textbooks outline the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court under clear headings: original, appellate, advisory, and powers to do complete justice. These descriptions exactly match the four statements given in the question. No statement introduces any power that the Supreme Court does not have. The fact that the Court frequently hears appeals, resolves Union State disputes, issues detailed decrees, and occasionally gives advisory opinions to the President confirms that all four statements are correct and reflect real constitutional powers.


Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option 1, 2 and 3 only is wrong because it omits Statement 4, even though the advisory jurisdiction under Article 143 is a recognised function of the Supreme Court.

Option 1 and 2 only is incorrect because it ignores the Court's power under Article 142 to do complete justice and its advisory role under Article 143.
Option 3 and 4 only is incorrect because it leaves out the original and appellate jurisdiction, which are core aspects of the Court's authority in the Indian judicial system.


Common Pitfalls:
Sometimes candidates think that advisory functions do not belong to courts and may wrongly assume that Statement 4 is incorrect. Others may not remember Article 142 and underestimate the Supreme Court's power to mould relief in order to do complete justice, which leads them to doubt Statement 3. A third confusion is to think that original jurisdiction belongs only to High Courts, not realising that the Supreme Court has an exclusive original jurisdiction in specific Union State disputes. To avoid these pitfalls, it is useful to memorise the different heads of Supreme Court jurisdiction and connect them with the relevant constitutional articles.


Final Answer:
All four statements correctly describe powers of the Supreme Court of India, so the answer is 1, 2, 3 and 4.

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