Who was the Chief Justice of India when Public Interest litigation was introduced in the Indian Judicial system?

The answer is C) P.N. Bhagwati. Public Interest Litigation took shape in the late 1970s through Hussainara Khatoon v. State of Bihar (1979), decided by Justice Bhagwati and Justice Krishna Iyer, and Bhagwati then pushed it hard as Chief Justice (July 1985 to December 1986). Strictly, the 1979 start came under CJI Y.V. Chandrachud, so the question is loosely framed, but Bhagwati is the CJI most associated with PIL, and the key follows that.

• A) M. Hidayatullah: CJI 1968-70, before PIL existed. Wrong.
• B) A.M. Ahmadi: CJI 1994-97, long after PIL was established. Wrong.
• D) A.S. Anand: CJI 1998-2001. Wrong for the same reason.

The core concept is locus standi relaxation under Articles 32 and 226, which lets any public-spirited person approach the court for those whose rights are violated and cannot approach it themselves. For Mains, link this to access to justice, the role of judicial activism, and its limits, such as the debate over PIL misuse and over-reach into executive domain.

Trap: Candidates pick the CJI who was in office when the first PIL case was decided, which is Chandrachud in 1979, without noticing that the question asks about the figure who institutionalised PIL. Read the question's intent before matching dates.