‘Complete justice’ under Article 142 of the Constitution

Recently, the Supreme Court invoked its discretionary powers under Article 142 to grant Atul Kumar, a Dalit student, admission to the Indian Institute of Technology in Dhanbad.

Article 142 is a unique provision that grants the Supreme Court the power to pass any necessary order to secure ‘complete justice’. We explore the many facets of this provision and how it has evolved over the years.