DPSP & Fundamental Duties — Set 14

Correct Answer: B. 44th Amendment

The 44th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1978 added a new clause (2) to Article 38, directing the State to minimize the inequalities in income and status, facilities, and opportunities, not only among individuals but also among groups of people residing in different areas or engaged in different vocations. This expanded the scope of Article 38 beyond individual equality to group equality across regions and occupational groups. This reflects the socio-economic objective of reducing regional disparities.

Correct Answer: C. Article 51A(c)

Article 51A(c) states that it shall be the duty of every citizen of India to uphold and protect the sovereignty, unity, and integrity of India. This duty reflects the paramount importance of national unity and territorial integrity. The Supreme Court has used this duty to uphold anti-sedition laws and restrictions on speech that threaten national unity. This duty exists in tension with the freedom of speech under Article 19(1)(a) and requires careful balancing.

Correct Answer: D. Article 51A(g)

Article 51A(g) mandates citizens to protect and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers, and wildlife, and to have compassion for living creatures. This Fundamental Duty complements Article 48A (DPSP) which directs the State to protect and improve the environment. Together, these provisions form the constitutional basis for environmental protection. Courts have used both provisions to uphold environmental laws and impose liability on polluters under the absolute liability principle.

Correct Answer: C. USSR (Soviet Union)

The Fundamental Duties in Part IV-A (Article 51A) of the Indian Constitution were inspired by the Soviet Union (USSR) Constitution which emphasized duties of citizens alongside rights. The Indian Fundamental Duties were added by the 42nd Amendment (1976) on the recommendation of the Swaran Singh Committee. Countries with explicit constitutional provisions for fundamental duties include the Soviet Constitution (1936, 1977), China, Japan, and Germany. The Indian model closely followed the Soviet approach.

Correct Answer: C. Article 41

Article 41 directs the State to make effective provision for securing the right to work, to education, and to public assistance in cases of unemployment, old age, sickness, and disablement, within the limits of economic capacity and development. This DPSP is the constitutional basis for schemes like MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005) which guarantees 100 days of work to rural households. The National Social Assistance Programme also draws from this directive.

Correct Answer: B. Article 46

Article 46 directs the State to promote with special care the educational and economic interests of the weaker sections of the people, and in particular, of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes, and shall protect them from social injustice and all forms of exploitation. This constitutional mandate has led to various welfare schemes, scholarship programs, and reservation policies for SC/ST communities. Article 46 works in tandem with Articles 15, 16, 17, and 23 to provide comprehensive protection.

Correct Answer: B. Article 40

Article 40 directs the State to take steps to organise village panchayats and endow them with such powers and authority as may be necessary to enable them to function as units of self-government. This Gandhian DPSP was the constitutional basis for Panchayati Raj experiments since independence. The Balwant Rai Mehta Committee (1957) recommended the three-tier Panchayati Raj system. The L.M. Singhvi Committee (1986) recommended constitutional status, leading to the 73rd Amendment (1992).

Correct Answer: A. 51A(a)

Article 51A(a) is the first Fundamental Duty which mandates citizens to abide by the Constitution and respect its ideals and institutions, the National Flag, and the National Anthem. This includes respecting the Preamble, democratic institutions, courts, Parliament, and state legislatures. The Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971 gives legal teeth to the duty to respect the National Flag and National Anthem. Burning the national flag or insulting it is a criminal offence.

Correct Answer: C. Article 39(c)

Article 39(c) directs the State to ensure that the operation of the economic system does not result in the concentration of wealth and means of production to the common detriment. This socialist DPSP promotes equitable distribution of economic resources. The Supreme Court in the Kesavananda Bharati case held that this provision reflects one of the important objectives of the Constitution. Article 31C (as limited by Minerva Mills) protects laws made to implement Articles 39(b) and (c) from certain Fundamental Rights challenges.

Correct Answer: C. Justice Verma Committee

The Justice J.S. Verma Committee (1999) was appointed to examine how Fundamental Duties could be operationalized and made more effective. The committee recommended several measures including incorporating Fundamental Duties in educational curricula, making knowledge of Fundamental Duties a part of citizenship education, and using Fundamental Duties as a basis for public interest litigation. The committee stressed that duties and rights are complementary and correlated.