Legal Study

  Fundamental Duties are enshrined under Part IVA, Article 51A of the Indian Constitution. Originally, the Constitution of India had no mention of Fundamental Duties. They were added through the 42nd Constitutional Amendment on the recommendations of the Swaran Singh Committee. The Fundamental Duties are inspired by the Constitution of the erstwhile USSR. Article 29(1) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that: Everyone has duties to the community in which alone the free and full development of his personality is possible. Swaran Singh Committee The Swaran Singh Committee was set up to make recommendations on the need and importance of Fundamental Duties, which were felt during the national emergency of 1975-1977. The committee recommended the addition of a separate chapter regarding Fundamental Duties in the Constitution. The committee recommended the incorporation of eight Fundamental Duties. However, not all recommendations of the Swaran Singh Committee were acce...

 It is said that a person’s right is another person duty and vice-versa. At the beginning of enforcement of the Indian Constitution, fundamental duties were not a part of it. They were later added in the year 1976. It is observed that, generally, the duties are neglected by the individuals. To make every citizen realize his duty, the amendment of 1976 added fundamental duties in the Constitution. We have borrowed this concept of fundamental duties from the Constitution of the USSR. Swaran Singh Mehta Committee Recommendations In 1976, a committee was set up named Swaran Singh Mehta Committee to give recommendations on fundamental duties. It is the period when an internal emergency was imposed in India. The committee recommendations were as follows: To add a separate part in the Constitution on fundamental duties. The committee emphasised that citizens must be made aware of their duties along with their rights. The committee suggested for eight fundamental duties. But the Parliament...