BrahMos: Introduction  BrahMos is a long-range, nuclear-capable, supersonic cruise missile system jointly developed by India and Russia. It can be launched from land, sea, air and submarine platforms, and is known for its very high speed (around Mach 2.8–3) and precision strike capability. The missile is produced by BrahMos Aerospace, a joint venture between DRDO (India) and NPO Mashinostroyenia (Russia), and was first test-fired in 2001. The name “BrahMos” is derived from the Brahmaputra (India) and Moskva (Russia) rivers, symbolising the collaboration between the two countries. Over time, it has become one of the core offensive assets of the Indian Armed Forces and an important symbol of India’s defence-industrial capability. Cruise Missile Basics and Working Principle BrahMos belongs to the category of cruise missiles, which are unmanned, self-propelled guided weapons that fly within the earth’s atmosphere and use aerodynamic lift to reach their target. Their main role is to deliver a conventional or special warhead with high accuracy. Key features of its working concept: Main BrahMos Family and Variants You can think of BrahMos as a family of systems, evolving in range, platform, and speed. Standard BrahMos Supersonic Cruise Missile BrahMos-NG (Next Generation) BrahMos-NG is an upcoming, more compact version designed to increase platform flexibility: The downsizing is meant to allow even lighter platforms like LCA Tejas (in future) or multiple-round carriage on aircraft that currently can carry only a single standard BrahMos. BrahMos-II (Hypersonic Concept) BrahMos-II (sometimes referred to as BrahMos Mark-II) is a proposed hypersonic cruise missile, intended to use advanced scramjet propulsion, drawing heavily from Russian hypersonic technology concepts. BrahMos-II is still in the R&D and planning stage and represents India’s future move from l to hypersonic strike capability. Strategic Significance for India BrahMos has several layers of importance for India’s security and foreign policy: Technological base for next-gen systems The experience with supersonic propulsion, guidance, seeker technology, system integration and platform adaptation under BrahMos creates a strong foundation for India’s move towards hypersonic weapons and more advanced missile systems.

Why the Judgment Matters? The Supreme Court used this case to underline that the Constitution protects not just popular beliefs but also minority faith-based practices, as long as they do not disturb public order. The decision is often cited to explain that patriotism cannot be forced by compelling uniform conduct, and that respect for national symbols includes the right to stay silent respectfully. Constitutional Framework Involved Two fundamental rights were central to the Court’s reasoning: Departmental circulars or school guidelines cannot override these rights unless backed by law having statutory force. Background of the Dispute Three schoolchildren from Kerala, belonging to the community of Jehovah’s Witnesses, refused to sing the National Anthem. Their faith does not permit them to participate in activities they consider symbolic worship of any authority other than God. However, they always stood up during the anthem as a mark of respect. The school expelled them.The Kerala High Court upheld the expulsion.The matter reached the Supreme Court. Core Issue Before the Court Was the school justified in removing the students for declining to sing the National Anthem, despite their maintaining respectful silence, or did this action violate their constitutional freedoms? Reasoning Adopted by the Supreme Court The Court focused on the conduct of the children.They neither insulted the anthem nor disrupted the assembly; they simply refrained from singing due to sincere religious conviction. This, the Court held, was protected behaviour. The judges also clarified that: Since there was no threat to public order or disrespect to national symbols, state interference was unjustified. Verdict The Supreme Court reversed the High Court’s ruling and ordered the immediate readmission of the children. The judgment reaffirmed that the Constitution is built on the idea of tolerance and that dissent, when peacefully expressed, cannot be penalised.

Article 19  Article 19(1) guarantees six basic freedoms to citizens only: (The original seventh freedom – Right to property – was removed from Article 19 by the 44th Constitutional Amendment, 1978, and is now a legal right under Article 300A.) Reasonable Restrictions These freedoms are not absolute. Clauses (2)–(6) of Article 19 allow the State to impose “reasonable restrictions” on specified grounds like: Example: Article 20 – Protection in Respect of Conviction for Offences Article 20 applies to citizens and non-citizens and is non-suspendable even during Emergency. It provides three key safeguards: These protections seek to ensure fairness and certainty in criminal justice. Article 21 – Protection of Life and Personal Liberty Article 21 states: “No person shall be deprived of his life or personal liberty except according to procedure established by law.” Key features: Over time, the Supreme Court has read several implied rights into Article 21, such as: Thus, Article 21 has become the widest, most dynamic fundamental right. Article 21A – Right to Education Article 21A is closely linked with dignity, equality and the long-term realisation of other rights. Article 22 – Protection Against Arrest and Detention in Certain Cases Article 22 provides safeguards in two situations: ordinary arrests and preventive detention. Safeguards in Ordinary Arrest (Article 22(1)–(2)) Every arrested person has the right: These are basic due-process rights and apply to all persons who are not enemy aliens and not preventively detained. Preventive Detention (Article 22(3)–(7)) Key safeguards include: India has several preventive detention statutes like the National Security Act (NSA) and UAPA, which are frequently debated for potential misuse versus security needs. Important Case Laws on Right to Freedom Way Forward A rights-respecting way forward would require: