Why it is in the news
A seven-judge Constitution Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant was listed to begin hearing, on 6 October 2026, a reference pending since 2003 on whether the privileges of Parliament and State Legislatures under Articles 105 and 194 can override freedom of speech and expression under Article 19(1)(a) and personal liberty under Article 21. On 5 October, senior advocate Raju Ramachandran, for the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, told the CJI's Bench that the 2003 resolution ordering the arrest of journalists of The Hindu had been withdrawn in 2004, and urged that a hearing on merits would be academic.
The exam angle
Thesis: Legislative privilege exists to protect the House's freedom to deliberate, not the reputation of a government or a member; a constitutional democracy needs privileges that are defined, necessary and reviewable.