what is article 14 of indian constitution

Article 14 of the Constitution of India provides for equality before the law or equal protection of the laws within the territory of India. It states that "The State shall not deny to any person equality before the law or the equal protection of the laws within the territory of India". This article guarantees equality to all persons, including citizens, corporations, and foreigners. Its provisions have come up for discussion in the Supreme Court in a number of cases, and the case of Ram Krishna Dalmia vs Justice S R Tendolkar reiterated its meaning and scope. Article 14 permits classification, so long as it is reasonable', but forbids class legislation. A classification of groups of people is considered reasonable when it is based on intelligible differentia and has a rational nexus with the object sought to be achieved by the law in question.