Olga Tellis case
Also called: Olga Tellis v. Bombay Municipal Corporation · Topic: Fundamental Rights and Constitutional Remedies · NCERT: Class 11, Ch 6 "Citizenship"
Meaning
The Olga Tellis case (1985) is a Supreme Court judgment on Bombay's pavement dwellers, who faced eviction. The Court held that the right to life under Article 21 includes the right to livelihood, meaning a person's means of earning a living. People cannot be thrown off their means of living without a fair, just and reasonable procedure. The case does not give anyone a right to a job. NCERT discusses it in the Class 11 chapter on Citizenship.
Example
Pavement dwellers lived near their places of work in Bombay. They challenged the city's plan to remove them. The Court said evicting them would take away their livelihood. So any eviction had to follow a fair procedure, such as giving notice and a hearing.
Don't confuse with
- Freedom of profession (Art. 19(1)(g)): this is a citizen's right to choose their work. The right to livelihood under Art. 21 protects a person's existing means of living from unfair removal.
Related concepts
- Right to life and personal liberty
- A.K. Gopalan case
- Procedure established by law
- Due process of law
- Maneka Gandhi case
- Golden triangle
- Right to live with human dignity
- Right to livelihood
- Right to shelter
- Right to health