What went wrong when the king rode under the arch?

It was too low and knocked off his crown

How does the chain of blame unfold in the poem?

Each accused person blames another, ending with the king's own changes

In which part of the Constitution are the Fundamental Rights listed?

In Part Three of the Constitution of India.

What is a Bill of Rights?

A list of the rights of citizens mentioned and protected by the constitution, which prohibits the government from acting against those rights.

Are Fundamental Rights absolute?

No; the government can place reasonable restrictions on their exercise, for example for public order, morality or security.

What does Article 16(4) clarify?

That making provision for reservation of posts in favour of any backward class not adequately represented is not a violation of the right to equality.

What does Article 21 guarantee, and how has it been expanded?

The right to life and personal liberty; courts have expanded it to include the right to live with dignity, and the right to shelter and livelihood.

What does the Right against Exploitation prohibit?

Begar (forced labour) and traffic in human beings, and the employment of children below 14 in hazardous jobs.

Why did Ambedkar call the Right to Constitutional Remedies the "heart and soul" of the Constitution?

Because it lets a citizen approach the High Court or Supreme Court to get any violated Fundamental Right restored through writs.

How do Directive Principles differ from Fundamental Rights?

Directive Principles are non-justiciable guidelines for the government's policy and welfare of society, while Fundamental Rights are enforceable by the courts.

Rights in the Indian Constitution

Q: How do Fundamental Rights differ from ordinary legal rights?

Ordinary rights are protected by ordinary law and changed by ordinary law-making; Fundamental Rights are guaranteed by the Constitution and can only be changed by amending it.

Q: Name the five writs the courts can issue.

Habeas corpus, mandamus, prohibition, quo warranto and certiorari.

Class 11 Political Science · Indian Constitution at Work · Chapter 2

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Summary

This chapter studies the Fundamental Rights in Part Three of the Indian Constitution and the limits on them. It opens with real cases — the Asian Games workers paid less than minimum wage (a violation of the right against exploitation) and Machal Lalung, jailed 54 years as an undertrial — to show why rights and their implementation matter. A list of rights protected in a constitution is called a Bill of Rights. Fundamental Rights differ from ordinary legal rights because they are guaranteed by the Constitution and can only be changed by amending it, and the judiciary can declare executive or legislative actions illegal if they violate them; yet they are not absolute and may carry reasonable restrictions. The chapter explains six Fundamental Rights: the Right to Equality (equality before law, no discrimination, equality of opportunity, abolition of untouchability and titles, with reservations under Article 16(4)); the Right to Freedom (including Article 21's right to life and personal liberty, preventive detention and rights of the accused); the Right against Exploitation (banning begar and child labour); the Right to Freedom of Religion; Cultural and Educational Rights of minorities; and the Right to Constitutional Remedies (writs like habeas corpus), which Ambedkar called the "heart and soul" of the Constitution. It distinguishes Fundamental Rights from the non-justiciable Directive Principles of State Policy and notes the 42nd Amendment's Fundamental Duties.

Rights in the Indian Constitution

Key terms

Fundamental Rights

the rights in Part Three of the Constitution, guaranteed and protected by the Constitution itself.

Bill of Rights

the list of rights mentioned and protected by a constitution.

Right to Constitutional Remedies

the right (called the "heart and soul" by Ambedkar) to move the courts for writs to enforce Fundamental Rights.

Writs

special court orders: habeas corpus, mandamus, prohibition, quo warranto and certiorari.

Preventive detention

arrest and detention of a person out of apprehension of unlawful activity, extendable up to three months before review.

Directive Principles of State Policy

non-justiciable guidelines listing goals, rights and policies the government should pursue.

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The Fundamental Rights are listed in which part of the Constitution?

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Rights in the Indian Constitution

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