How Many Fundamental Duties are Written in the Constitution of India?

India is a sovereign, secular, democratic country. The Government of India is, of the people, for the people and by the people. We all have strong opinions regarding Fundamental Rights, but Fundamental Duties towards the country should also be considered equally important. Fundamental duties are referred to as the moral obligations of every citizen of India that help promote the spirit of patriotism and strengthen the unity of India. The fundamental duties were included in the Constitution of India under Sardar Swaran Singh’s recommendations. Read this article to know how many fundamental duties are written in the Constitution of India!

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What are Fundamental Duties?

Fundamental Duties in India is the set of 11 ethical and civic principles that are written in Article 51-A under Part IV-A of the Constitution of India. The 10 fundamental duties were included in 1976 by the 42nd Amendment Act. It was included to induce a sense of responsibility and commitment towards the Nation.

The 11th fundamental duty was added to the Constitution of India by the 86th Amendment Act 2002. 

The idea of including the fundamental duties in the Constitution of India was inspired by the Russian Constitution. 

Read More About: What are Fundamental Duties? 

How many Fundamental Duties are there in the Indian Constitution?

The need to include the list of fundamental duties in the Constitution of India was felt during an internal emergency of 1975-77. The emergency was imposed by the then Prime Minister of India Hon’ble Indira Gandhi. 

There are 11 Fundamental Duties enshrined in the Constitution of India. 

List of 11 Fundamental Duties

Given below is the list of 11 fundamental duties under Article 51-A. These duties must be obeyed by every individual to uphold the unity of India:

Article	Description
51A (a)	To abide by the Constitution and respect its ideals and institutions, the National Flag, and the National Anthem.
51A (b)	To cherish and follow the noble ideals which inspired our national struggle for freedom.
51A (c)	To uphold and protect the sovereignty, unity, and integrity of India.
51A (d)	To defend the country and render national service when called upon to do so.
51A (e)	To promote harmony and the spirit of common brotherhood amongst all the people of India transcending religious, linguistic, and regional or sectional diversities; to renounce practices derogatory to the dignity of women.
51A (f)	To value and preserve the rich heritage of our composite culture.
51A (g)	To protect and improve the natural environment, including forests, lakes, rivers, and wildlife, and to have compassion for living creatures.
51A (h)	To develop the scientific temper, humanism, and the spirit of inquiry and reform.
51A (i)	To safeguard public property and to abjure violence.
51A (j)	To strive towards excellence in all spheres of individual and collective activity so that the nation constantly rises to higher levels of endeavour and achievement.
51A (k)	To provide opportunities for education by sending children within the age group of 6-14 years to school.

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Criticism of Fundamental Duties

The fundamental duties included in the Constitution of India are criticized on the following grounds:

1. These duties are non-enforceable. So, if someone not following these duties then, the Government cannot take any kind of action.
2. Critics declared that including these duties in the constitution is superfluous This is because they believe that people will perform these duties even if they were not included in the Constitution of India.
3. Critics also analyzed that some of the duties were not explained properly. So it is difficult for the common man to understand them.
4. Some critical subjects are not included in the fundamental duties such as voting, paying taxes, and family planning, etc.
5. Some experts believe that Fundamental duties must not be included in Part IV-A as it has reduced the value of fundamental duties. Instead, they must be included after Part III to keep them together with fundamental rights. 

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Swaran Singh Committee

The discussion of fundamental duties is incomplete without referring to the Swaran Singh Committee. Initially, there was no mark of any fundamental duties in the Constitution of India. But, later in 1976, the Indira Gandhi Government constituted a committee under the chairmanship of Swaran Singh which is known as Swaran Singh Committee.

• This committee suggested 8 fundamental duties, but the Government of India added 10 fundamental duties by the 42nd Amendment Act 1976.

Three suggestions of the Swaran Singh Committee were rejected. They were:

1. Parliament must have the power to make laws to punish/penalize the citizen for violating these fundamental duties.
2. The punishment or penalty imposed by the Parliament cannot be questioned in any court even if it violates the fundamental rights or any other provision of the Indian Constitution.  
3. Paying tax should also be included in the fundamental duties.

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