THE DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE AND SUPREME COURT IN INDIA: JUDICIAL INTERVENTION IN EXECUTIVE AND LEGISLATIVE FUNCTIONS

India is the largest democratic country as its constitution also is the largest written constitution in the world. The federal parliamentary system of the country establishes three separate organs of government, the Legislature, the Executive and the Judiciary. The constitution of India give The Constitution of India empowers the Supreme Court to be guardian and protector of fundamental rights and to interpret constitutional provisions. The judiciary in India functions independently from the other organs of government and it is considered the foundation of India democracy. The Supreme Court has been involved in matters related to legislature and execution decisions, through Judicial Review, Judicial Activism, and Public Interest Litigation (PIL). The judiciary does not function through direct electoral processes in a democratic country. The Supreme Court’s judgement and directing are based on constitutional principles and legal interpretation rather than political considerations. The Court has played a significant role in reviewing executive actions and public policies. Through landmark judgments such as Kesavananda Bharati v. State of Kerala (1973), which established the Basic Structure Doctrine, and Maneka Gandhi v. Union of India (1978), which expanded the scope of fundamental rights, the Supreme Court strengthened constitutional governance and limited arbitrary executive power (Basu, 2024). Judicial review allows the Court to examine whether executive and legislative actions conform to constitutional principles. After more than seventy years of independence, both citizens and political actors frequently approach the Supreme Court to resolve constitutional disputes, execution decision administrative conflicts, and governance issues. India therefore represents a unique judicial model in the democratic world. The judiciary has expanded its role in matters related to public policy, executive accountability, and the protection of civil liberties. The Supreme Court has issued important directions to governments regarding environmental protection, electoral reforms, corruption control and social justice. The primary objective of this study is to investigate the roots of judicial power in India and to understand the constitutional provisions relating to the Supreme Court in the context of democratic governance in India. Another main object of study is to analyse the powers, functions, and role of the Supreme and its intervention to executive and legislative branches. Based on these objectives, the study examines why the Supreme Court has emerged as a powerful organ of government in democratic India. The study also analyses the role of the Supreme Court through landmark judgments and compares the Indian judicial system with courts in other democratic countries. Furthermore, this research discusses how the Supreme Court continues to protect the Constitution while maintaining the balance among the three branches of government. It also highlights the extent of judicial involvement in governance and policy matters. The study mainly relies on secondary sources such as books, research articles, government reports, and major judicial judgments