FUNDAMENTAL DUTIES
Fundamental Duties of India are guaranteed by the constitution of India in Part IV. These duties are identified as the moral obligations and help in promoting the spirit of patriotism and to uphold the unity of the country. These duties are designed concerning the individuals and the nation. However, these fundamental duties are not legally enforceable. Furthermore, the citizens are morally obligated by the constitution to perform these duties.
The Fundamental Duties were added by the 42nd Amendment Act in 1976. Article 51-A of the constitution provides ten Fundamental Duties of the citizen. These duties can be classified accordingly as concerning the environment, duties towards the State and duties towards the nation and also duties towards self. However, these are non-justiciable, incorporated only with the purpose of promoting patriotism among citizens.
The international instruments such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights include reference of such duties. These Fundamental Duties are such obligations that extend not only to the citizens, but also to the State. According to the Fundamental Duties all citizens should respect the national symbols of India and also the constitution. The fundamental duties of the land also aim to promote the equality of all individuals, protect the environment and public property, to develop scientific temper, to abjure violence, to strive towards excellence and to provide free and compulsory education. In addition to that, the 11th Fundamental Duty, states that every citizen “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” was added by the 86th constitutional amendment in 2002.
The following are the Fundamental Duties prescribed by the