Citizenship: Rights and Duties

Citizens and residents, the Fundamental Rights and key articles, the eleven Fundamental Duties, and equality, equity and inclusion.

Key ideas

A citizen is a legal member of a country; a resident simply lives in a place.
Fundamental Rights include equality, freedom, the right against exploitation, cultural and educational rights and constitutional remedies.
Article 32 lets citizens go to court to protect their rights; Dr B. R. Ambedkar called it the heart and soul of the Constitution.
Rights come with duties: my rights work only if I respect other people’s.
Equality gives everyone the same; equity gives support according to need so all can reach the same goal.
Inclusion means everyone is welcomed and has equal access, whatever their background or ability.
Invisible discrimination is quiet exclusion, like leaving someone out without saying why.

Remember

Fundamental Rights	Articles 14 to 32
Article 21A	free, compulsory education, ages 6 to 14
Article 24	no child below 14 in factories, mines or dangerous work
Article 32	right to constitutional remedies
Fundamental Duties	Article 51A; first added 1976, now 11 (the 11th in 2002)
Savitribai Phule	opened schools for girls

Watch out

Mixing up equality (the same for all) and equity (according to need).
Mixing up the articles: Fundamental Duties are in 51A, the right to remedies in 32.
Saying there are 10 Fundamental Duties: an eleventh was added in 2002.

Worked example

Ten Fundamental Duties were added in 1976 and an eleventh in 2002. (a) How many years apart were these? (b) How many years before 2031 were the first duties added?

Working: 2002 − 1976; 2031 − 1976

Answer: (a) 26 years (b) 55 years