Fundamental Rights - Articles 12-35 (Part III of Indian Constitution)

Articles 12-35 of Indian Constitution deal with Fundamental Rights. These human rights are conferred upon the citizens of India for the Constitution tells that these rights are inviolable. Right to Life, Right to Dignity, Right to Education etc. all come under one of the six main fundamental rights.

Fundamental rights are a very important topic in the polity section of the UPSC exam. It is a basic static portion of the syllabus but it is highly dynamic in the sense that it is featured in the daily news in some form or the other. Hence, it is highly important for the IAS exam.

In this article, you can read all about 6 fundamental rights of India:

1. Right to Equality
2. Right to Freedom
3. Right against Exploitation
4. Right to Freedom of Religion
5. Cultural and Educational Rights
6. Right to Constitutional Remedies

   What are the Fundamental Rights?

   Fundamental rights are the basic human rights enshrined in the Constitution of India which are guaranteed to all citizens. They are applied without discrimination on the basis of race, religion, gender, etc. Significantly, fundamental rights are enforceable by the courts, subject to certain conditions.

   Why are they called Fundamental Rights?

   These rights are called fundamental rights because of two reasons:

7. They are enshrined in the Constitution which guarantees them
8. They are justiciable (enforceable by courts). In case of a violation, a person can approach a court of law.

9. List of Fundamental Rights

   There are six fundamental rights of Indian Constitution along with the constitutional articles related to them are mentioned below:

10. Right to Equality (Article 14-18)
11. Right to Freedom (Article 19-22)
12. Right against Exploitation (Article 23-24)
13. Right to Freedom of Religion (Article 25-28)
14. Cultural and Educational Rights (Article 29-30)
15. Right to Constitutional Remedies (Article 32)

16. Why Right to Property is not a Fundamental Right?

    There was one more fundamental right in the Constitution, i.e., the right to property. 

    However, this right was removed from the list of fundamental rights by the 44th Constitutional Amendment. 

    This was because this right proved to be a hindrance towards attaining the goal of socialism and redistributing wealth (property) equitably among the people. 

    Note: The right to property is now a legal right and not a fundamental right. 

    Introduction to Six Fundamental Rights (Articles 12 to 35)

    Under this section, we list the fundamental rights in India and briefly describe each of them.

    1. Right to Equality (Articles 14 – 18)

    Right to equality guarantees equal rights for everyone, irrespective of religion, gender, caste, race or place of birth. It ensures equal employment opportunities in the government and insures against discrimination by the State in matters of employment on the basis of caste, religion, etc. This right also includes the abolition of titles as well as untouchability.

    Aspirants can read more about Right to Equality in the linked article.

    2. Right to Freedom (Articles 19 – 22)

    Freedom is one of the most important ideals cherished by any democratic society. The Indian Constitution guarantees freedom to citizens. The freedom right includes many rights such as:

17. Freedom of speech
18. Freedom of expression
19. Freedom of assembly without arms
20. Freedom of association
21. Freedom to practise any profession 
22. Freedom to reside in any part of the country

23. Read more on the Right to Freedom in the linked article.

    Some of these rights are subject to certain conditions of state security, public morality and decency and friendly relations with foreign countries. This means that the State has the right to impose reasonable restrictions on them.

    Aspirants can find the details on Right to Life (Article 21), in the linked article.

    3. Right against Exploitation (Articles 23 – 24)

    This right implies the prohibition of traffic in human beings, begar, and other forms of forced labour. It also implies the prohibition of children in factories, etc. The Constitution prohibits the employment of children under 14 years in hazardous conditions.

    Read more on the Right against Exploitation in the linked article.

    4. Right to Freedom of Religion (Articles 25 – 28)

    This indicates the secular nature of Indian polity. There is equal respect given to all religions. There is freedom of conscience, profession, practice and propagation of religion. The State has no official religion. Every person has the right to freely practice his or her faith, establish and maintain religious and charitable institutions.

    Read more on the Right to Freedom of Religion in the linked article.

    5. Cultural and Educational Rights (Articles 29 – 30)

    These rights protect the rights of religious, cultural and linguistic minorities, by facilitating them to preserve their heritage and culture. Educational rights are for ensuring education for everyone without any discrimination.

    Read more on Cultural and Educational Rights in the linked article.

    6. Right to Constitutional Remedies (32 – 35)

    The Constitution guarantees remedies if citizens’ fundamental rights are violated. The government cannot infringe upon or curb anyone’s rights. When these rights are violated, the aggrieved party can approach the courts. Citizens can even go directly to the Supreme Court which can issue writs for enforcing fundamental rights.

    Read more on Right to Constitutional Remedies (Article 32) in the linked article.

    All civil services exam aspirants must go through the features of the Fundamental Rights discussed further below in this article.

    Features of Fundamental Rights

24. Fundamental rights are different from ordinary legal rights in the manner in which they are enforced. If a legal right is violated, the aggrieved person cannot directly approach the SC bypassing the lower courts. He or she should first approach the lower courts.
25. Some of the fundamental rights are available to all citizens while the rest are for all persons (citizens and foreigners).
26. Fundamental rights are not absolute rights. They have reasonable restrictions, which means they are subject to the conditions of state security, public morality and decency and friendly relations with foreign countries.
27. They are justiciable, implying they are enforceable by courts. People can approach the SC directly in case of violation of fundamental rights.
28. Fundamental rights can be amended by the Parliament by a constitutional amendment but only if the amendment does not alter the basic structure of the Constitution. 
29. Fundamental rights can be suspended during a national emergency. But, the rights guaranteed under Articles 20 and 21 cannot be suspended.
30. The application of fundamental rights can be restricted in an area that has been placed under martial law or military rule.

31. Also, in the news:

32. Conjugal Rights
33. Right to be Forgotten

34. Fundamental Rights Available Only to Citizens

    The following is the list of fundamental rights that are available only to citizens (and not to foreigners):

35. Prohibition of discrimination on grounds of race, religion, caste, gender or place of birth (Article 15).
36. Equality of opportunity in matters of public employment (Article 16).
37. Protection of freedom of:(Article 19)
    • Speech and expression
    • Association
    • Assembly
    • Movement
    • Residence
    • Profession
38. Protection of the culture, language and script of minorities (Article 29).
39. Right of minorities to establish and administer educational institutions (Article 30)

    Fundamental Duties : 

    The Fundamental Duties were added in 1976, upon recommendation of the Swaran Singh Committee, that was constituted by Indira Gandhi just after the declaration of national emergency, to study and amend the constitution.

    This committee was under the Chairmanship of Sardar Swaran Singh, India's longest-serving union cabinet minister. Based on his recommendations, the government incorporated several changes to the Constitution including the Preamble, through the 42nd Amendment, which included the fundamental duties under the Indian Constitution.

    However, by the 86th Amendment in 2002, the original 10 duties were then increased to 11, under Article 51A, Part IV-A of the Constitution of India. The 10 fundamental duties are as follows:To oblige with the Indian Constitution and respect the National Anthem and Flag

• To cherish and follow the noble ideas that inspired the national struggle for freedom
• To protect the integrity, sovereignty, and unity of India
• To defend the country and perform national services if and when the country requires
• To promote the spirit of harmony and brotherhood amongst all the people of India and renounce any practices that are derogatory to women
• To cherish and preserve the rich national heritage of our composite culture
• To protect and improve the natural environment including lakes, wildlife, rivers, forests, etc.
• To develop scientific temper, humanism, and spirit of inquiry
• To safeguard all public property
• To strive towards excellence in all genres of individual and collective activities
• The 11th fundamental duty which was added to this list is:
• To provide opportunities for education to children between 6-14 years of age, and duty as parents to ensure that such opportunities are being awarded to their child.
• The 11 fundamental duties look at the crisis in Indian society and become a tool for straightening it out. They serve as a source of protection for the liberty of the people.