The Supreme Court recently dismissed a plea seeking modification of the Indian government’s COVID-19 policy to allow voluntary re-vaccination of persons who have been vaccinated with Sputnik V. The petitioner, a recipient of Sputnik V, is unable to go overseas since the World Health Organization (WHO) had not yet certified Sputnik V in its approved list of vaccines. The petitioner was directed to make a representation before the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in this respect.
Constitutional right to travel abroad
The court did not fully appreciate the existing constitutional jurisprudence while dismissing the writ petition. The right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution does not have a mere black-and-white legal meaning. Whilst undoubtedly referring to an individual’s right to live, it means much more than the right of an individual to survival. A person must embrace all of life’s facets in order to fully live. The right to live a fulfilling and respectable life is known as the right to life.
