Sedition

noun (uncountable)

/sɪˈdɪʃən/

Conduct or speech inciting rebellion, disaffection, or resistance against the authority of the state. In India, Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 (retained as Section 152 in the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023) penalised sedition. In S.G. Vombatkere v. Union of India (2022), the Supreme Court suspended Section 124A's operation pending re-examination by the government, noting its colonial-era origin and chilling effect on free speech. The Kedar Nath Singh v. State of Bihar (1962) Constitution Bench upheld its validity but limited it to acts with tendency to incite violence.

✍️ Usage in a UPSC answer

The Supreme Court's 2022 order in S.G. Vombatkere, effectively putting Section 124A IPC into cold storage, marked a pivotal moment in India's sedition jurisprudence, acknowledging the tension between national security and the constitutionally guaranteed freedom of speech under Article 19(1)(a).

Synonyms

incitement to rebellioninsurrectionsubversiontreasonous speechdisaffection

Antonyms

loyaltyallegiancepatriotismcivic compliance

🌱 Word Family

seditious (adjective), seditiously (adverb), seditiousness (noun), seduce (distant cognate — both involve 'leading away')

🔡 Root

Latin seditio (civil strife) ← sed- (aside, apart) + itio (a going) ← ire (to go)

📜 Etymology

From Latin seditio (a going apart, schism, insurrection), composed of sed- (a variant of se- = apart) and itio (going), from ire (to go). The image is of a faction going apart from the main body of the state. Entered English legal vocabulary in the 14th century through statute law.

🧠 Memory Hook

SEDITION = SE (apart) + DITION (from ire = going). Going APART from the state — separating oneself from loyalty. SEDITION is the act of sedating the state's authority by encouraging others to go apart from it.

📝 Seen in UPSC Question Papers

Prelims 2015 — Modern India

Real UPSC previous-year questions whose text uses “Sedition” — proof this word earns its place on your list.

⚖️ Polity & Constitution 📖 Seen in: Preamble of the Indian Constitution

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