what is article 21 of indian constitution

Article 21 is a fundamental right guaranteed by the Indian Constitution under Part III. It declares that no person shall be deprived of their life or personal liberty except according to the procedure established by law. This right is available to all citizens and non-citizens alike. The right to life and personal liberty are secured by Article 21. The Supreme Court of India has described this right as the "heart of fundamental rights". The chief goal of Article 21 is that when the right to life or liberty of a person is taken away by the State, it should only be according to the prescribed procedure of law. The interpretation of Article 21 has been widened by several landmark judgments. Some of the important cases concerned with Article 21 include Maneka Gandhi v. Union of India and Olga Tellis v. Bombay Municipal Corporation. The right to life under Article 21 includes the right to live with human dignity. The right to life also includes the right to livelihood, health, and pollution-free environment. Article 21 applies to natural persons, and the right is available to every person, citizen or alien. However, it does not entitle a foreigner the right to reside and settle in India, as mentioned in Article 19.