Legal Reasoning/Practice Sheet/#01/Answers

Legal Reasoning Practice Sheet #01

Answers & Explanations

1. Answer: B
Explanation: The statement mentioned in (a) is the reason to justify the disparity in the
minimum legal marriageable age of a girl and a boy in India. However, the author of the
above passage argues that the disparity clearly shows that it is not equally signi icant for
a girl to possess the level of education and economic independence as it is for a boy, at the
time of her marriage.

2. Answer: A
Explanation: The above passage states the principle held in State of West Bengal v.
Anwar Ali Sarkar that differential treatment can be meted out to different classes under
Article 14, if such classi ication has a rational nexus with the object that the Act seeks to
secure.

3. Answer: B
Explanation: The object of Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006 was to prevent
solemnisation of child marriages, primarily for the bene it of girls. The gender-based
classi ication for minimum marriage age would frustrate this object, rather than facilitate
it, as it allows a girl to marry at an age which is not deemed enough to attain suf icient
education/economic independence.

4. Answer: D
Explanation: The object of Section 4(c), Special Marriage Act was to set a minimum age to
allow for the development of necessary capacity for marriage. A gender-based
classi ication would imply a nexus between the requirement of necessary capacity and the
gender of the person. This linkage is based entirely upon the stereotypical conception of
gender roles and therefore falls short of rationality.

5. Answer: C
Explanation: If you carefully read the text of Article 15, it reads that discrimination on
grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth or any of them is not allowed. The
word to focus on is ‘only’. Here gender of Shaheen was not the only consideration but also
his experience of participating in such plays was taken into account. Therefore, it does not
account for a violation of Article 15.

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 Legal Reasoning/Practice Sheet/#01/Answers

6. Answer: B
Explanation: There was no breach of fundamental right by the State as the non-reserved
category student was differently placed from the reserved category student.

7. Answer: B
Explanation: Jagriti will not succeed as she was discriminated on the basis of suspicion as
she was returning from an enemy country.

8. Answer: D
Explanation: Ms. X petition will fail because Army’s decision is a reasonable
discrimination.

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