English Article

Enforce Fundamental Duties

Enforce fundamental duties, says petition in SC.

It also took a leaf from the erstwhile Soviet Constitution and pointed to China’s advent as a “superpower” while arguing that the “need of the hour” is to remind citizens that fundamental duties are as important as fundamental rights under the Constitution. Though it agreed that the 11 fundamental duties listed in Article 51A of the Constitution were basically “moral obligations” on citizens, the petition used the prefix “sacrosanct” to define these obligations. “It said the time has come to balance rights, liberties and freedoms and obligations. Fundamental duties instil a “profound sense of social responsibility towards the nation”. “In the erstwhile USSR Constitution, the rights and duties were placed in the same footing. There is a pressing need to enforce and implement at least some of the fundamental duties.” the petition urged. The petition said fundamental duties were “brazenly flouted” by people. These duties were an important tool to protect unity and integrity. Every citizen should know how to respect institutions in this country, it argued. The court has listed the case for April 4, 2022.