Constitutional Provisions and Significance of Fundamental Rights

To prepare for Indian Polity for any competitive exam, aspirants have to know about the basics of Fundamental Rights. It gives an idea of all the topics important for IAS Exam and the polity syllabus (GS-II). Fundamental Rights and related topics are extremely important for the UPSC Exam. This is an essential portion of the polity. As IAS aspirants, you should be thorough with the Union and Territories. This article will provide you with relevant details about the Constitutional Provisions and Significance of Fundamental Rights.

• Constitution makers derived inspiration from the Constitution of USA (Bill of Rights).
• Fundamental Rights are enshrined in Part III from Art. 12 to 35.
• Part III of the Constitution is rightly described as the “Magna Carta” of India.
• FR in our Constitution are more elaborate than those found in the Constitution of any other country in the world, including the USA.
• The FRs are guaranteed by the Constitution to all persons without any discrimination.
• FRs uphold the equality of all individuals, the dignity of the individual, the larger public interest and unity of the nation.
• The FRs are meant for promoting the ideal of political democracy.
• FRs prevent the establishment of an authoritarian and despotic rule in the country.
• Protect the liberties and freedoms of the people against the invasion by the State.
• They operate as limitations on the tyranny of the executive and arbitrary laws of the legislature à FR aim at establishing ‘a government of laws and not of men’.
• The FR are guaranteed and protected by the Constitution, which is the fundamental law of the land.
• FR are most essential for the all-round development (material, intellectual, moral and spiritual) of the individuals.
• At present, there are only six Fundamental Rights.
• Constitution in its original text, provided for seven Fundamental Rights. 44th Amendment Act, 1978 deleted Right to property from the list of FR and made it a legal right under Art. 300-A in Part XII of the Constitution.