Fundamental Duties of Indian Citizens

PART IVA or Article 51A in the Constitution deals with fundamental duties of Indian citizens. Fundamental duties were put in into the Constitution in 1976 by the 42nd Constitutional Amendment after the recommendation of Swaran Singh Committee. Fundamental duties are not justiciable that is they can not be enforced through the court of law. They are all moral obligations and also they are social forces.

11 Fundamental Duties

Initially 10 duties were included in the 42nd Constitutional Amendment in 1976. However, in 2002 by the 86th Constitutional Amendment, one more fundamental duty was inserted.

• To abide by the Constitution of India and to respect its ideals, its institutions, National Flag and the National Anthem
  
  
• To cherish and follow the noble ideals which inspire our national struggle for freedom
  
  
• To uphold and protect the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India
  
  
• To defend the country and render national service when called upon to do so
  
  
• To promote harmony and the spirit of common botherhood among all the people of India exceeding linguistic, religious and regional or sectional diversities and to abdicate the practices derogatory to the dignity and respect of women
  
  
• To value and preserve the rich heritage of our composite culture
  
  
• To protect and ameliorate the natural environment including lakes, rivers, forests and wild life, and to have sympathy towards other living creatures
  
  
• To develop the scientific temper, humanism and the spirit of inquiry and reform
  
  
• To safeguard public property and to abjure violence
  
  
• To put efforts towards excellence in all areas of individual and collective activity so that our country rises continuously towards the higher levels of endeavour and achievement
  
  
• To provide opportunities in the field of education to his or her children or ward between the age of 6 to 14 years

Fundamental rights and Fundamental duties are complimentary to each other. That means one man's right becomes another man's duty. That is why they are two sides of a same coin that is they cannot be separated.

Moreover, no civil society permits absolute rights without corresponding duties. That is why fundamental duties were included subsequently to enforce certain amount of limitations and a kind of warning to reckless citizens of India.