Under the Constitution of India which of the following is NOT a Fundamental Duty ?

Question

UnlockIAS · Accepted Answer

Correct — A, To vote in a General Election. The Fundamental Duties are listed exhaustively in Article 51A (Part IVA) of the Constitution, inserted by the 42nd Amendment Act, 1976 on the recommendation of the Swaran Singh Committee. Voting is NOT among them — it is a statutory right conferred by Article 326 read with the Representation of the People Act, 1951, not a constitutional duty. Developing the scientific temper [51A(h)], safeguarding public property [51A(i)] and abiding by the Constitution and respecting its ideals [51A(a)] are all listed duties, so option (a) is the one that is NOT a Fundamental Duty.

Why the other options are wrong — (b) This IS a Fundamental Duty. Article 51A(h) requires every citizen 'to develop the scientific temper, humanism and the spirit of inquiry and reform'; being a listed duty, it cannot be the answer to a 'NOT a duty' question.  (c) This IS a Fundamental Duty. Article 51A(i) enjoins citizens 'to safeguard public property and to abjure violence', so it is not the exception the question asks for.  (d) This IS a Fundamental Duty — the very first one. Article 51A(a) requires citizens 'to abide by the Constitution and respect its ideals and institutions, the National Flag and the National Anthem'.

Concept: Fundamental Duties are enumerated in Article 51A, Part IVA of the Constitution. They were added by the 42nd Amendment Act, 1976 on the recommendation of the Swaran Singh Committee; originally ten, an eleventh (to provide education to one's child/ward aged 6–14) was added by the 86th Amendment Act, 2002, making eleven. Like the Directive Principles, they are non-justiciable — not directly enforceable by courts. Voting, though an important civic act, is a statutory right under the Representation of the People Act, not one of these duties.

State PCS 2021 Q31 — Polity & Governance PYQ with Answer

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