Fundamental Duties (Article 51A): All 11 Duties, Notes and PYQs
All 11 Fundamental Duties in Article 51A explained: how the 42nd Amendment added them, the Swaran Singh Committee, the 11th duty and the traps exams set.
By GK24 Editorial Team· Published · 5 min read
The Constitution gave Indians their rights in 1950, but it said nothing about their duties until 1976. The Fundamental Duties are a short topic, just one Article, yet they are asked in almost every SSC and Railway paper, and the questions are nearly always the same five: which amendment added them, which committee recommended them, which Article lists them, how many there are, and which of the four options is not a duty. By the end of this note you will be able to answer all five without thinking.
How the duties entered the Constitution
| Year | What happened |
|---|---|
| 1976 | The government set up the Swaran Singh Committee, which recommended a separate chapter of duties. It suggested eight. |
| 1976 | The 42nd Amendment Act inserted a new Part IVA with a single Article, Article 51A, listing ten duties. |
| 2002 | The 86th Amendment Act added an eleventh duty, clause (k), on the education of children. |
The idea of listing citizens' duties in the Constitution was taken from the Constitution of the former USSR. Today there are 11 Fundamental Duties.
The 11 Fundamental Duties
Article 51A says it shall be the duty of every citizen of India:
| Clause | Duty |
|---|---|
| (a) | To abide by the Constitution and respect its ideals and institutions, the National Flag and the 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 among all the people of India, transcending religious, linguistic and regional or sectional diversities, and to renounce practices derogatory to the dignity of women |
| (f) | To value and preserve the rich 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 creatures |
| (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 activity, so that the nation constantly rises to higher levels of endeavour and achievement |
| (k) | Who is a parent or guardian, to provide opportunities for education to his child or ward between the age of six and fourteen years (added in 2002) |
Link it to Part III: the 86th Amendment of 2002 did three things at once. It made education from 6 to 14 a Fundamental Right (Article 21A), rewrote Article 45 (early childhood care below six), and added the duty in Article 51A(k). One amendment, three Parts: rights, directives and duties.
What kind of duties these are
- Citizens only: the duties apply to citizens of India, not to foreigners, whereas several Fundamental Rights apply to every person.
- Not enforceable by courts: like the Directive Principles, they are non-justiciable. The Constitution itself provides no punishment for not performing them.
- Enforceable through laws: Parliament can make laws that give effect to them and punish their violation.
- A guide for courts: the Supreme Court has held that if a law gives effect to a Fundamental Duty, a court may treat it as reasonable when judging it under Article 14 or 19.
- Two kinds: some are moral duties (cherishing the ideals of the freedom struggle) and some are civic duties (respecting the Constitution, the Flag and the Anthem).
Laws that give effect to the duties
| Duty | Law |
|---|---|
| Respect the National Flag, the National Anthem and the Constitution (a) | Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971 |
| Uphold sovereignty, unity and integrity (c) | Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 |
| Promote harmony and common brotherhood (e) | Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955, which punishes offences related to caste and religion |
| Protect the environment (g) | Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 |
In 1999 the Verma Committee on the Fundamental Duties of Citizens, headed by Justice J.S. Verma, identified the laws already in force that give effect to some of these duties.
What is not a Fundamental Duty
Exam trap: voting in elections, paying taxes and family planning are not Fundamental Duties, however natural they sound. The Swaran Singh Committee had in fact recommended a duty to pay taxes, but it was not included. And clause (a) names the National Flag and the National Anthem, but not the National Song: "respect the National Song" is a favourite wrong option.
Why they are criticised
- They cannot be enforced in court, so critics call them a code of moral precepts.
- Some are vague: people understand "noble ideals" and "composite culture" in different ways.
- The list is not complete: duties such as voting and paying taxes are left out.
- They sit in Part IVA, after the Directive Principles, when many felt they belonged next to the Fundamental Rights in Part III.
Fundamental Duties in daily life
- Standing still while the National Anthem is played is clause (a).
- Not damaging buses, trains or other public property during a protest is clause (i).
- Planting trees and not harming animals is clause (g).
- Questioning a superstition and looking for evidence is clause (h), the scientific temper.
- A parent sending a ten-year-old to school is clause (k).
Revise in one minute
- Part IVA, Article 51A; added by the 42nd Amendment, 1976, on the recommendation of the Swaran Singh Committee.
- Idea from the Constitution of the former USSR.
- 10 duties in 1976; the 11th, clause (k), added by the 86th Amendment, 2002; total 11.
- For citizens only; not enforceable in court; Parliament can enforce them by law.
- Flag and Anthem in clause (a), but not the National Song. Voting and paying taxes are not duties.
- Environment (g), scientific temper (h), public property (i), education of children (k).
- Verma Committee, 1999: laws that already give effect to the duties.
Exam Point of View
Expect the five standard questions: the amendment that added the duties (42nd, 1976), the committee (Swaran Singh), the Article and Part (51A, Part IVA), the number (11) and the source (the former USSR). Also common are the 86th Amendment and clause (k), matching a duty to its clause, and picking the option that is not a duty, such as voting, paying taxes or respecting the National Song.
Important Facts
| Part of the Constitution | Part IVA |
|---|---|
| Article | 51A |
| Added by | 42nd Amendment Act, 1976 |
| Recommended by | Swaran Singh Committee (1976) |
| Idea taken from | Constitution of the former USSR |
| Number of duties | 11 (10 in 1976, 1 in 2002) |
| Eleventh duty | Article 51A(k), added by the 86th Amendment, 2002 |
| Applies to | Citizens only |
| Enforceable in court? | No; Parliament can enforce them by law |
| Respect for Flag and Anthem | Article 51A(a) |
| Protect the environment | Article 51A(g) |
| Scientific temper | Article 51A(h) |
| Safeguard public property | Article 51A(i) |
| Committee on implementing the duties | Justice J.S. Verma Committee (1999) |
Practice MCQs on this topic
Fundamental duties are mentioned in which of the following part of Indian Constitution?
- A.Part II
- B.Part III
- C.Part V
- D.Part IV A
Show answer
The 42nd Amendment Act, 1976 inserted a new Part IVA into the Constitution, with a single Article, 51A, that lists the Fundamental Duties of every citizen.
Read the full explanation →Which Constitutional Amendment added Fundamental Duties in the Constitution?
- A.Forty - Second Amendment Act, 1976
- B.Forty - Seventh Amendment, 1984
- C.Forty - Fourth Amendment Act 1978
- D.Fifty - Second Amendment, 1985
Show answer
Passed during the Emergency on the recommendation of the Swaran Singh Committee, the 42nd Amendment inserted Part IVA and Article 51A with ten Fundamental Duties.
Read the full explanation →Which of the following committees recommended inclusion of fundamental duties?
- A.Tarapore Committee
- B.Radha Krishnan Committee
- C.Balwant Rai Mehta Committee
- D.Swaran Singh Committee
Show answer
In 1976 the government set up a committee under Sardar Swaran Singh to suggest changes to the Constitution. It recommended a separate chapter on Fundamental Duties, arguing that citizens should be conscious of their duties as well as their rights.
Read the full explanation →The concept of fundamental duties in the Constitution of India was taken from:
- A.USSR
- B.USA
- C.Germany
- D.Australia
Show answer
The idea of writing citizens' duties into the Constitution was taken from the Constitution of the former Soviet Union, which listed duties alongside rights.
Read the full explanation →How many Fundamental Duties are there for citizens of India?
- A.8
- B.6
- C.10
- D.11
Show answer
The 42nd Amendment Act, 1976 added ten Fundamental Duties in Article 51A, clauses (a) to (j).
Read the full explanation →Under which amendment act, article 51A (k) of the Indian constitution was inserted in the constitution?
- A.Eighty - second amendment Act
- B.Eighty - sixth amendment Act
- C.Eighty - first amendment Act
- D.Eighty - fourth amendment Act
Show answer
The 86th Amendment Act, 2002 inserted clause (k) in Article 51A: "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." The same amendment made free and compulsory education for children…
Read the full explanation →Which of the following Fundamental Duty provisions has laid down that all Indians need to show respect to the Indian National Flag and the Indian National Anthem?
- A.Article 51A (d)
- B.Article 51A (a)
- C.Article 51A (b)
- D.Article 51A (c)
Show answer
The very first Fundamental Duty asks every citizen to abide by the Constitution and respect its ideals and institutions, the National Flag and the National Anthem.
Read the full explanation →To develop scientific temper and humanism is a:
- A.constitutional remedy
- B.Fundamental Right
- C.Fundamental Duty
- D.Directive principles of state policy
Show answer
Article 51A(h) asks every citizen "to develop the scientific temper, humanism and the spirit of inquiry and reform". It means questioning superstition, looking for evidence before believing a claim, and being open to change.
Read the full explanation →Article 51A (i) of the Indian Constitution is related to which of the following?
- A.To safeguard public property and to abjure violence
- B.To value and preserve the rich heritage of our composite culture
- C.To defend the country and render national service when called upon to do so
- D.To uphold and protect the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India
Show answer
That is the duty in Article 51A(i). It asks citizens not to damage buses, trains, roads, government buildings and other public property, and to reject violence, for example during protests.
Read the full explanation →Which of the following duties is specified as the 10th Fundamental Duty in the Indian Constitution?
- A.To develop the scientific temper, humanism and the spirit of inquiry and reform
- B.To strive towards excellence in all spheres of individual and collective activity
- C.To cherish and follow the noble ideals which inspired our national struggle for freedom
- D.To provide opportunities for education to his child or as the case may be, ward between the age of six and fourteen years
Show answer
The tenth Fundamental Duty is clause (j) of Article 51A, which continues: "so that the nation constantly rises to higher levels of endeavour and achievement".
Read the full explanation →A student, on his school assignment, is taking a session on how to make compost at home for using it at a park. Which fundamental duty is he performing?
- A.To strive towards excellence in all spheres of individual and collective activity
- B.To safeguard public property and to abjure violence
- C.To develop the scientific temper, humanism and the spirit of inquiry
- D.To protect and improve the natural environment
Show answer
Teaching people to turn kitchen waste into compost for a park reduces waste and enriches the soil, which is exactly what Article 51A(g) asks for: to protect and improve the natural environment, including forests, lakes, rivers and wildlife, and to have compassion for living creatures.
Read the full explanation →In relation to the fundamental duties enshrined in the Constitution of India, which one of the following is NOT correct?
- A.The fundamental duties were not originally a part of the Constitution
- B.To safeguard public property and abjure violence are fundamental duties
- C.They are not enforceable through writs
- D.They may not be used for determining constitutionality of laws
Show answer
The Supreme Court has held that when a court tests whether a law is constitutional, and finds that the law gives effect to a Fundamental Duty, it may treat the law as "reasonable" under Article 14 or Article 19 and uphold it.
Read the full explanation →Which committee is related to fundamental duties?
- A.LM Singhvi Committee
- B.Verma Committee
- C.Vasantrao Naik Committee
- D.Rajmannar Committee
Show answer
In 1999 the Committee on the Fundamental Duties of Citizens, headed by Justice J.S. Verma, a former Chief Justice of India, looked at how the duties could be made operational.
Read the full explanation →Which of the following is NOT a fundamental duty of an Indian citizen?
- A.To value and preserve the rich heritage of our composite culture
- B.To vote in public elections
- C.To safeguard public property and to abjure violence
- D.To uphold and protect the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India
Show answer
Voting is not among the eleven Fundamental Duties in Article 51A. The right to vote comes from Article 326, which provides for elections on the basis of adult suffrage, and from the Representation of the People Act, 1951.
Read the full explanation →In Part-IVA of the Constitution of India, which one of the following is not mentioned as a duty of every citizen of India?
- A.To render national service when called upon to do so
- B.To renounce practices derogatory to the dignity of women
- C.To value and preserve a unitary national culture
- D.To develop the spirit of inquiry and reform
Show answer
Article 51A(f) actually asks citizens "to value and preserve the rich heritage of our composite culture". The word matters: India's culture is described as composite, a blend of many traditions, languages and faiths, not a single unitary culture.
Read the full explanation →Frequently Asked Questions
How many Fundamental Duties are there in the Indian Constitution?
Eleven. The 42nd Amendment Act, 1976 added ten, and the 86th Amendment Act, 2002 added the eleventh, which asks parents and guardians to provide opportunities for education to children aged six to fourteen.
Which committee recommended the Fundamental Duties?
The Swaran Singh Committee, set up in 1976. It recommended eight duties; the 42nd Amendment Act of the same year added ten in a new Part IVA.
Are Fundamental Duties enforceable in a court of law?
No. They are non-justiciable and the Constitution provides no punishment for not performing them, but Parliament can give effect to them through laws, such as the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971.
Do Fundamental Duties apply to foreigners?
No. Article 51A lays down duties for every citizen of India. Foreigners are not covered, although they enjoy some Fundamental Rights, such as Articles 14 and 21.
Is voting a Fundamental Duty?
No. Voting, paying taxes and family planning are not among the 11 Fundamental Duties. The Swaran Singh Committee had suggested a duty to pay taxes, but it was not included.
Sources
- The Constitution of India — Legislative Department, Ministry of Law and Justice
- Indian Constitution at Work (Class XI), Chapter 2: Rights in the Indian Constitution — NCERT
