Why the Supreme Court said the right to walk on footpaths is fundamental

📌 Summary:

• The Supreme Court (Friday) recognised walking on demarcated footpaths as a fundamental right that overrides the privilege of a motor vehicle, and urged the government to enact a law to give it effect
• A statutory law would be crucial to holding officials and departments accountable for pedestrian-rights violations (e.g. encroached/occupied footpaths)
• Genesis of the case: the death of a 5-year-old boy struck by a tanker while walking to school with his father
• Bench: Justices P S Narasimha and Atul S Chandurkar; the right is read into Article 21 (right to life), making safe pedestrian mobility part of the right to life and dignity

🎯 UPSC Relevance: GS2 (Polity — judicial expansion of Article 21, fundamental rights) and GS3 (urban infrastructure, road safety, governance accountability).

📝 Prelims Facts:

• Article 21: Right to life and personal liberty — judicially expanded to include rights such as a clean environment, health, and now safe walking on footpaths
• Bench: Justices P S Narasimha and Atul S Chandurkar

🔑 Key Term: Article 21 expansion — the judicial practice of reading new, unenumerated rights (here, the right to walk safely) into the right to life and personal liberty.