Article 51-A explains the Fundamental Duties. At present, how many Fundamental Duties are mentioned?
- (a)10
- (b)11
- (c)12
- (d)15
Correct — B, 11. Article 51-A (Part IV-A) originally listed 10 Fundamental Duties when inserted by the 42nd Amendment (1976); the 86th Amendment (2002) added an 11th duty — the duty of a parent/guardian to provide opportunities for education to their child/ward between ages 6-14 — bringing the present total to 11.
- (a)10 — 10 was the ORIGINAL count when Fundamental Duties were first added in 1976 — outdated after the 86th Amendment added the 11th duty in 2002.
- (c)12 — No basis — the Constitution lists 11 Fundamental Duties at present, not 12.
- (d)15 — No basis — 15 does not correspond to any recognised count of Fundamental Duties.
Fundamental Duties (Part IV-A, Article 51-A) were added by the 42nd Amendment (1976) on the recommendation of the Swaran Singh Committee, originally listing 10 duties. The 86th Amendment (2002) — the same amendment that inserted Article 21-A — added an 11th duty tied to elementary education.
This question rewards knowing that the Fundamental Duties list has grown, not stayed fixed at 10 — the 86th Amendment (2002) is a favourite exam pivot point because it touches both Article 21-A (Right to Education) and Article 51-A (Fundamental Duties) in one stroke.
- Fundamental Duties are in Part IV-A, Article 51-A of the Constitution.
- Added by the 42nd Amendment, 1976 — originally 10 duties, on the Swaran Singh Committee's recommendation.
- 86th Amendment, 2002 added the 11th duty: parent/guardian's duty to provide education to their child/ward aged 6-14.
- Fundamental Duties are modelled on Article 51-A but are not directly enforceable by courts.
Present count of Fundamental Duties: 11 (10 original + 1 added by the 86th Amendment).
- Sticking with the outdated '10 duties' figure and forgetting the 86th Amendment's addition
- Confusing the 11th Fundamental Duty (parent's duty re: child's education) with Article 21-A (child's own Right to Education)
MPPSC & UPSC ask either the total count (10 vs 11) or 'which of these is NOT a Fundamental Duty' from a list — always check whether the question predates or postdates the 86th Amendment's 11th addition.
Under the Constitution of India, which one of the following is not a fundamental duty?
- (a) To vote in public elections
- (b) To develop the scientific temper
- (c) To safeguard public property
- (d) To abide by the Constitution and respect its ideals
Answer(a) To vote in public elections — Article 51-A enumerates eleven Fundamental Duties; voting is a statutory right, not one of them.
Tests the same Article 51-A list and confirms the present count is eleven Fundamental Duties.
- practice — not a real PYQ
Which Constitutional Amendment added the 11th Fundamental Duty, concerning a parent's/guardian's duty to provide education to their child?
- (a)42nd Amendment
- (b)44th Amendment
- (c)86th Amendment
- (d)91st Amendment
Answer(c) 86th Amendment, 2002.
- practice — not a real PYQ
The Fundamental Duties were added to the Indian Constitution on the recommendation of which committee?
- (a)Sarkaria Commission
- (b)Swaran Singh Committee
- (c)Balwant Rai Mehta Committee
- (d)Ashok Mehta Committee
Answer(b) Swaran Singh Committee — its recommendations led to the 42nd Amendment inserting Article 51-A in 1976.