Introduction To Fundamental Duties

The introduction to fundamental duties was done as a part of our constitution during the 42nd amendment that took place in 1976. It was done on the recommendation of the Swaran Singh Committee. Initially, there were 10 fundamental duties, which were increased to 11 during the 86th amendment that took place in 2002. 

Need Of Fundamental Duties

India is a land rich in diversity. People belonging to different religions, regions, caste, and creeds reside here. Hence, there was a need to maintain harmony and brotherhood among all the citizens of India. To ensure that, the government framed certain fundamental duties that all the citizens of India need to abide by. The main objectives of fundamental duties were to play an important role in maintaining the unity, integrity, and sovereignty of our country. 

Fundamental Duties.

Going through the introduction for fundamental duties, it is clear that the need of fundamental duties was felt to maintain sovereignty and integrity and ensure that people live harmoniously with one another. The list of fundamental duties of an Indian citizen is as follows:

1. To abide by the Indian constitution and respect all its institutions.
2. To follow the ideas that led India towards independence and cherish the struggle for freedom.
3. To protect the unity, sovereignty, and integrity of our country.
4. To defend our country and be ready to render national service as and when required.
5. To promote brotherhood and harmony among people belonging to different regions, speaking diverse languages, practising different customs and beliefs. 
6. To preserve and value the cultural heritage of our country. 
7. To contribute towards the protection and improvement of our natural environment including forests, rivers, wildlife, and lakes.
8. To develop humanism, the spirit of reform, and scientific temperament.
9. To safeguard the public property 
10. To work towards achieving excellence in all fields including personal and collective activities and to contribute to taking the nation towards greater heights.
11. A guardian must ensure proper educational facilities to his/her ward to help them build a stable and secure future.

Sources Of Fundamental Duties

One must notice the fact that India is among the only western countries that realised the importance of fundamental duties and incorporated a list keeping in mind the basic etiquettes and requirements that an Indian citizen must fulfil. The Japanese constitution has a mention of certain fundamental duties while in countries like Canada, Britain, and Australia the duties of citizens are governed by common law. The constitution of America only mentions fundamental rights and there is no mention regarding the fundamental duties.

However, the Socialist countries lay special emphasis on the mention of fundamental duties. There is a mention of fundamental duties in the Yugoslavian constitution and the Soviet constitution. The constitution of the Republic of China also mentions fundamental duties. 

Enforcement Of Fundamental Duties

The adoption and following of fundamental duties is the responsibility of every single citizen of the country. The law must ensure that every citizen abides by these duties and proper penalties must be imposed on those who fail to follow and respect these fundamental duties. Therefore proper arrangements and provisions should be made to ensure that people follow their fundamental duties and do not disrespect the system and our constitution. Although these duties aren’t enforceable to any citizen, they do provide a certain set of guidelines to ensure proper law and order.

Loopholes

The fundamental duties are mentioned in a complex language and difficult to understand the terminology. Hence it becomes very difficult for a common man to understand these duties and hence most of them remain unaware of such mentions in our constitution. It is very difficult to understand the idea behind the fundamental duties and at the same time grasp the concept of the struggle for freedom. 

Some of the fundamental duties clash with the religious beliefs of some sections of the country and hence, there is a need for some amendments to make the fundamental duties a universal concept. The Supreme court passed a statement wherein it mentioned that if someone has genuine religious obligations and places religious beliefs above patriotism, the person cannot be forced to join singing a national anthem.

Conclusion

The main objectives of fundamental duties were to provide citizens with a specific set of rules they must abide by. The introduction to fundamental duties was done to ensure sovereignty, secularism, unity, and brotherhood among the Indian citizens. It’s interesting to note that our Indian government felt the need for fundamental duties and introduced them to establish harmony among its residents. Although there are a few loopholes our constitution should consider and bring about some amendments but as of now, they are the best method to maintain a united India.