Part IVA of the Indian Constitution deals with Fundamental Duties. As of now, there are 11 Fundamental duties.Originally, the Constitution of India did not contain these duties. Fundamental duties were added by 42nd and 86th Constitutional Amendment . IAS aspirants need to make sure that they understand the need of Fundamental Duties in the Constitution.

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  • Fundamental Duties

 FUNDAMENTAL DUTIES

The Government is planning to assign its different Ministries with the task of spreading awareness about Fundamental duties among people.

  • The idea of Fundamental Duties is inspired from the Constitution of Russia.
  • These were incorporated in Part IV-A of the Constitution by the 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1976 on the recommendations of Swaran Singh Committee.
  • Originally 10 in number, one more duty was added through the 86th Constitutional Amendment Act, 2002. All the eleven duties are listed in Article 51-A of the Constitution (the sole Article in Part-IV-A).
  • The fundamental duties serve as a reminder to citizens that while enjoying their rights, they have also to be quite conscious of duties they owe to their country, their society and to their fellow-citizens.
  • However, like the Directive Principles, the duties are also non-justiciable in nature.

List of Fundamental Duties

  • To abide by the Constitution and respect its ideals and institutions, the National Flag and the National Anthem;
  • To cherish and follow the noble ideals that inspired the national struggle for freedom;
  • To uphold and protect the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India;
  • To defend the country and render national service when called upon to do so;
  • To promote harmony and the spirit of common brotherhood amongst all the people of India transcending religious, linguistic and regional or sectional diversities and to renounce practices derogatory to the dignity of women;
  • To value and preserve the rich heritage of the country’s composite culture;
  • To protect and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers and wildlife and to have compassion for living creatures;
  • To develop scientific temper, humanism and the spirit of inquiry and reform;
  • To safeguard public property and to abjure violence;
  • To strive towards excellence in all spheres of individual and collective activity so that the nation constantly rises to higher levels of endeavour and achievement; and
  • To provide opportunities for education to his child or ward between the age of six and fourteen years (added by the 86th Constitutional Amendment Act, 2002).

This article will provide you with a list of Fundamental Duties, important for the IAS Exam from the perspective of Indian Polity. To read more articles on Polity click here