Which one of the following provides for the complete equality of men and women in India?
- (a)Articles 14 and 15 of the Constitution of India
- (b)Fifth Schedule of the Constitution of India
- (c)The Indian Independence Act
- (d)Article 20 of the Constitution of India
Correct — A, Articles 14 and 15 of the Constitution of India. Article 14 guarantees equality before the law and the equal protection of the laws to every person, while Article 15(1) specifically forbids the State from discriminating against any citizen on grounds of sex (along with religion, race, caste and place of birth). Read together, these two Fundamental Rights are the constitutional basis for the complete legal equality of men and women, which is why the key marks this option.
- (b)Fifth Schedule of the Constitution of India — The Fifth Schedule deals with the administration and control of Scheduled Areas and Scheduled Tribes in states other than the north-east; it has nothing to do with gender equality.
- (c)The Indian Independence Act — The Indian Independence Act, 1947 was the British statute that partitioned British India and transferred power to India and Pakistan; it is not a source of equality rights for citizens.
- (d)Article 20 of the Constitution of India — Article 20 gives protection in respect of conviction for offences (no ex-post-facto punishment, no double jeopardy, no self-incrimination) — a criminal-justice safeguard, not a gender-equality provision.
Equality of men and women in India rests on the Right to Equality cluster of Fundamental Rights (Articles 14-18). Article 14 promises equality before the law and equal protection of the laws; Article 15 prohibits discrimination on grounds including sex and even permits special provisions for women and children. Together they make gender equality a legally enforceable right.
The other options are all real constitutional or legal instruments, which is what makes them tempting, but each governs a different subject (tribal administration, transfer of power, criminal procedure). The discriminator is to remember that gender equality flows from the equality Articles 14-15, not from a schedule, a 1947 statute or a criminal-law article.
- Article 14 — equality before law and equal protection of the laws for every person.
- Article 15(1) — bars State discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth; 15(3) allows special provisions for women and children.
- Articles 14-18 together form the Right to Equality within Part III (Fundamental Rights).
- Article 20 protects the accused in criminal cases; the Fifth Schedule concerns Scheduled Areas — neither addresses gender equality.
Articles 14 and 15 together secure the equality of men and women — option (a).
- Confusing the Fifth Schedule (Scheduled Areas) with anything about equality.
- Picking Article 20 because it sounds like a rights article — it is a criminal-procedure safeguard, not an equality clause.
Usually as 'which Article/provision guarantees equality/non-discrimination' or by matching an Article number to its subject.
Prohibition of discrimination on grounds of religion, etc. (Article 15 of the Constitution of India) is a Fundamental Right classifiable under
- (a) the Right to Freedom of Religion
- (b) the Right against Exploitation
- (c) the Cultural and Educational Rights
- (d) the Right to Equality
Answer(d) the Right to Equality
Same concept — Article 15 (non-discrimination, including on grounds of sex) belongs to the Right to Equality, the exact provision that, with Article 14, secures equality of men and women in this question.
Which of the following rights under the Constitution of India is/are Fundamental Right(s)? 1. Right to work 2. Right to privacy 3. Right to free and compulsory education in the age bracket of six to eighteen years Select the answer using the code given below:
- (a) 1 and 2
- (b) 2 and 3
- (c) 2 only
- (d) 3 only
Answer(c) 2 only
Same domain — identifying what the Fundamental Rights in Part III actually guarantee, the framework within which the equality of men and women (Articles 14-15) sits.
- practice — not a real PYQ
Which Article of the Constitution of India specifically prohibits discrimination on grounds of sex?
- (a)Article 14
- (b)Article 15
- (c)Article 19
- (d)Article 21
Answer(b) Article 15 — it bars discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth.
- practice — not a real PYQ
Articles 14 to 18 of the Constitution of India together constitute which Fundamental Right?
- (a)Right to Freedom
- (b)Right to Equality
- (c)Right against Exploitation
- (d)Right to Constitutional Remedies
Answer(b) Right to Equality — Articles 14-18 form this cluster of Fundamental Rights.