Hello Champions,
Welcome back to our General Awareness series! We first explored how our Constitution was made and then decoded its soul, the Preamble. The Preamble promised us Justice, Liberty, and Equality. Now, we dive into the very section of the Constitution that makes these promises a reality: The Fundamental Rights.
This is, without a doubt, one of the most critical topics for the SSC CGL exam. These rights are the cornerstone of our democracy, and understanding them is essential for every citizen, especially an aspiring one like you.
So, let's get started.
What Are Fundamental Rights? (The Basics for Your Notes)
Before we jump into the articles, let's quickly cover the exam-centric basics.
Part of Constitution: Part III
Articles Covered: Articles 12 to 35
Borrowed From: The Constitution of the USA (Bill of Rights). This is a classic GK question!
Are they Justiciable? Absolutely. This means if any of your Fundamental Rights are violated, you can directly go to the High Court or the Supreme Court for justice.
The Story of the Missing Right: From Seven to Six
Originally, the Constitution granted us seven Fundamental Rights. However, this changed.
The Right to Property (originally under Article 31) was a Fundamental Right. But it created several challenges for the government in acquiring land for public welfare projects.
🔥 Exam Point Alert: The 44th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1978, removed the Right to Property from the list of Fundamental Rights. It is now a legal right under Article 300-A. Remember the amendment number and the new article – it's a favourite question of SSC examiners!
Today, we have six Fundamental Rights, which we will explore in this series.
The Six Pillars of Indian Democracy
Here are the six Fundamental Rights we are guaranteed today:
Right to Equality (Articles 14–18)1
Right to Freedom (Articles 19–22)2
Right against Exploitation (Articles 23–24)3
Right to Freedom of Religion (Articles 25–28)4
Cultural and Educational Rights (Articles 29–30)5
Right to Constitutional Remedies (Article 362)
In this post, we will master the first two rights, which are packed with important articles.
1. Right to Equality (Articles 14-18)
This right ensures that every citizen is treated equally in the eyes of the law.
Article 14: Guarantees equality before the law and equal protection of the laws to all persons.
Article 15: Prohibits the state from discriminating against any citizen on grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex, or place of birth.
Article 16: Provides for equality of opportunity for all citizens in matters of public employment.
Article 17: (⭐ Must Remember) Abolition of Untouchability. The practice of untouchability is forbidden in any form. This is one of the most frequently asked articles.
Article 18: Abolition of titles. It prohibits the state from conferring any titles (like Rai Bahadur, Maharaja) except for military and academic distinctions (like Dr., General).
2. Right to Freedom (Articles 19-22)
This right is the essence of a free, democratic society. Let's break it down.
Article 19: This article alone guarantees six fundamental freedoms to all citizens:
Freedom of speech and expression.7
Freedom to assemble peaceably and without arms.8
Freedom to form associations or unions.9
Freedom to move freely throughout the territory of India.10
Freedom to reside and settle in any part of the territory of India.11
Freedom to practice any profession, occupation, trade or business.
Article 20: Provides protection in respect of conviction for offenses. It ensures no one can be punished excessively or for the same crime twice (no "double jeopardy").
Article 21: (⭐ Most Important) Protection of Life and Personal Liberty. This is one of the most powerful rights. The Supreme Court has interpreted it widely to include the Right to a clean environment, the Right to privacy, and the Right to live with human dignity.
Article 21A: (⭐ Exam Hotspot) Right to Education. This is a massive one for exams.
Added by: The 86th Constitutional Amendment Act, 2002.
What it does: Makes free and compulsory education a Fundamental Right for all children in the age group of 6 to 14 years.
Article 22: Provides protection against arrest and detention in certain cases.
We've covered a lot of ground today, mastering the core concepts of Fundamental Rights and the crucial details of our rights to Equality and Freedom. Go through the amendments (44th and 86th) and the key articles (17, 21, and 21A) again – they are pure gold for your exam.
In Part 2, we will uncover the remaining crucial rights: the Right against Exploitation, Freedom of Religion, and the very "heart and soul" of the Constitution, the Right to Constitutional Remedies.
Stay tuned, and keep revising!
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