Fundamental Rights and Duties of India Explained
The six Fundamental Rights, the Directive Principles, the eleven Fundamental Duties, which article says what, and the amendments and cases that quizzes ask about.
By DesiQuiz Editorial Team· Updated 9 Oct 2026· 5 min readIndian Polity and Constitution quiz
Part III of the Constitution lists the Fundamental Rights, Part IV the Directive Principles of State Policy, and Part IVA the Fundamental Duties. Competitive-exam and quiz questions about them follow a few predictable patterns: which article, which right, how it was changed, and what is the difference between a right and a directive.
The six Fundamental Rights (Articles 12-35)
| Right | Articles | Core idea |
|---|---|---|
| Right to Equality | 14-18 | Equality before law; no discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth; equality of opportunity in public employment; abolition of untouchability (Art. 17) and of titles (Art. 18) |
| Right to Freedom | 19-22 | Six freedoms in Art. 19 (speech and expression, assembly, association, movement, residence, profession); protection in respect of conviction (Art. 20); life and personal liberty (Art. 21); rights of an arrested person (Art. 22) |
| Right against Exploitation | 23-24 | Prohibition of human trafficking and forced labour; no child under 14 to work in a factory, mine or hazardous job |
| Right to Freedom of Religion | 25-28 | Freedom of conscience and the right to profess, practise and propagate religion |
| Cultural and Educational Rights | 29-30 | Protection of minority languages, scripts and cultures; right of minorities to run educational institutions |
| Right to Constitutional Remedies | 32 | The right to move the Supreme Court to enforce Fundamental Rights |
Right to Property was originally a Fundamental Right (Art. 31). The 44th Amendment (1978) removed it from Part III and made it an ordinary legal right under Article 300A.
Key articles worth memorising
- Article 14: equality before the law and equal protection of the laws.
- Article 17: abolition of untouchability.
- Article 19: the six freedoms. Freedom of the press is read into Article 19(1)(a).
- Article 21: protection of life and personal liberty. The courts have read many rights into it, including privacy, a clean environment and a speedy trial.
- Article 21A: the right to free and compulsory education for children aged 6 to 14, added by the 86th Amendment (2002) and made effective by the Right to Education Act, 2009.
- Article 32: called by Dr B. R. Ambedkar the "heart and soul" of the Constitution.
Writs: how rights are enforced
The Supreme Court (Article 32) and the High Courts (Article 226) can issue five writs.
- Habeas corpus: "produce the body"; used against unlawful detention.
- Mandamus: "we command"; directs a public official to perform a legal duty.
- Prohibition: stops a lower court from exceeding its jurisdiction.
- Certiorari: quashes an order already passed by a lower court or authority.
- Quo warranto: "by what authority"; challenges a person's right to hold a public office.
Directive Principles of State Policy (Articles 36-51)
Directive Principles are guidelines for the State to follow when making laws. Unlike Fundamental Rights, they are not enforceable in a court of law. They draw on the Irish Constitution and cover a welfare state: a living wage, equal pay for equal work (Art. 39), a uniform civil code (Art. 44), free legal aid (Art. 39A), village panchayats (Art. 40), protection of the environment (Art. 48A) and the separation of the judiciary from the executive (Art. 50).
A simple way to separate them:
| Fundamental Rights | Directive Principles | |
|---|---|---|
| Nature | Justiciable (enforceable) | Non-justiciable |
| Aim | Political democracy | Social and economic democracy |
| Binding on | State as a limit on its powers | State as a guide to policy |
Fundamental Duties (Article 51A)
Duties were not part of the original Constitution. They were added by the 42nd Amendment (1976) on the recommendation of the Swaran Singh Committee, with ten duties, and were drawn from the Constitution of the former USSR. An eleventh, the duty of parents or guardians to provide education to children aged 6 to 14, was added by the 86th Amendment (2002).
The eleven duties include: respecting the Constitution, the national flag and the national anthem; cherishing the ideals of the freedom struggle; upholding the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India; defending the country; promoting harmony and brotherhood; preserving the rich heritage of our composite culture; protecting the natural environment; developing scientific temper; safeguarding public property; striving for excellence; and, for parents, providing opportunities for education.
Like Directive Principles, Fundamental Duties are not directly enforceable by courts.
Landmark cases and amendments
- Kesavananda Bharati v. State of Kerala (1973): the Supreme Court held that Parliament can amend the Constitution but cannot alter its basic structure.
- Maneka Gandhi v. Union of India (1978): widened Article 21 so that any law depriving a person of liberty must be fair, just and reasonable.
- K. S. Puttaswamy v. Union of India (2017): recognised the right to privacy as a Fundamental Right under Article 21.
- First Amendment (1951): added reasonable restrictions on free speech and the Ninth Schedule.
Common traps
- Fundamental Rights are available against the State, not against private persons (with exceptions such as Articles 15(2), 17, 23 and 24).
- Some rights apply only to citizens (Articles 15, 16, 19, 29, 30); others apply to all persons, including foreigners (Articles 14, 20, 21, 25).
- Right to Property is not a Fundamental Right today, though many sources still list it among the original seven.
- Fundamental Duties came after the original Constitution, in 1976.