Fundamental Duties

INTRODUCTION
• Rights and duties are correlative. The
fundamental duties are therefore, intended to
serve as a constant reminder to every citizen
that while the Constitution specifically
conferred on them certain fundamental rights,
it also requires citizens to observe certain
basic norms of democratic conduct and
democratic behavior.
Act, 2002Article 51-A was added to the constitution by the 42nd
Amendment Act 1976. This Article for the first time specifies a
code of ten fundamental duties for citizens. Article 51- A says
that it shall be the duty of every citizen of India –

a) To abide by the Constitution and respect its ideal and

institutions, the National Flag and National Anthem;
b) To cherish and follow the noble ideals which inspired our
national struggle for freedom;
c) To uphold and protect the sovereignty, unity and integrity of
India;
d) To defend the country and render national service when
called upon to do so;
e) To promote harmony and the spirit of common brotherhood
amongst all the people of India transcending religious,
linguistic and regional or sectional diversities; to renounce the
practices derogatory to the dignity of women;
f) To value and preserve the right heritage of our
composite culture;
g) To protect and improve the natural environment
including forests, lakes, rivers and wildlife, and
to have compassion for living creature;
h) To develop the scientific temper, humanism and
the spirit of inquiry and reform;
i) To safeguard public property and to abjure
violence;
j) To strive towards excellence in all spheres of
individual and collective identity;
k) Who is a parent or guardian to provide
opportunities for education to his child or as the
case may be, ward between the age of six and
fourteen years. (Inserted by the Constitution by the
86th Amendment Act 2002)
• There is no legal sanction behind these duties. In the
former Soviet Union such important duties as
payment of taxes and military service were included
in the Constitution. It was the duty of the Soviet
citizens to protect the public property and to
maintain labor discipline. Proper upbringing of the
children and maintenance of the parents in their old
age were included in the list of fundamental duties in
the Soviet Constitution of 1977.
• Similar duties were found in China also. Some of the
important duties included in the Constitution of
Japan are to educate children not to interfere in
public welfare, to pay the taxes etc. Japanese People
not only have the right to work ,but it is there duty
also to work. But, duties in India simply indicate
towards some ideals.
• The main defect of the fundamental duties is that
they are not justiciable. They have not been
included in Part III dealing with the fundamental
rights. The duties have been virtually made a part
of Part IV, which deals with Directive Principles.
Like the directives, the duties are mere ideal –
they are not justiciable. No citizen can be
punished for non-observance of duties.
• The Swaran Singh Committee, which proposed
the duties in 1976, had suggested that there
should be a provision for punishment of those
who might violate the duties. But this
recommendation was not accepted