Title: Right to freedom during COVID-19: a study of Article 19 of the Indian Constitution in light of COVID-19

Authors: Karun Sanjaya; Mohammad Saleem; Utsa Sarkar

Addresses: Symbiosis Law School, Nagpur, Symbiosis International (Deemed University), Pune, India; VIT School of Law, Vellore Institute of Technology, Chennai, India ' Faculty of Law, SRM University, Delhi – NCR, Sonepat, Haryana, India ' School of Law, Presidency University, Bengaluru, India

Abstract: The year 2019 ended with a virus that is believed to be the first sought in the Wuhan Province of China. The ensuing epidemic was not limited inside China's borders, and it went on to infect huge populations in other countries as well. On January 30, 2020, it was proclaimed a public health emergency of international concern, and on March 11, 2020; it was declared a pandemic. As a preventative step against the COVID-19 pandemic in India, the government imposed a statewide lockdown on March 25, 2020, restricting the mobility of the whole population. Services of everyday use such as transportation were suspended to contain the spread of the virus. Although necessary, these measures threatened people's fundamental rights. This paper discusses the interference with the fundamental rights of the common people, specifically those under Article 19 of the Constitution of India, caused by the government's nationwide lockdown.

Keywords: pandemic; COVID-19; lockdown; fundamental rights; Article 19.

DOI: 10.1504/IJPLAP.2025.143345

International Journal of Public Law and Policy, 2025 Vol.11 No.1, pp.43 - 51

Received: 19 Jun 2023
Accepted: 07 Aug 2023
Published online: 16 Dec 2024 *