SSC
Which committee recommended the inclusion of Fundamental Duties in the Constitution of India?
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Answer: Option A — Swaran Singh Committee
Detailed Solution
In 1976, during the Emergency, the Congress party set up a committee under Sardar Swaran Singh, a senior leader and former Union Minister, to suggest changes to the Constitution. The committee recommended that a separate chapter on Fundamental Duties be added, to remind citizens that along with rights they also have duties towards the nation.
The government accepted this recommendation, and the 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1976 added a new Part IVA, with a single Article 51A, listing ten Fundamental Duties. The idea was borrowed from the Constitution of the former USSR. The committee had suggested eight duties, but the Amendment included ten.
The committee had also recommended that Parliament could impose penalties for not performing these duties, but this suggestion was not accepted. As a result, Fundamental Duties are non-justiciable: they cannot be enforced directly by the courts. However, Parliament can make laws to enforce them, and courts can use them while interpreting laws.
An eleventh duty was added by the 86th Amendment Act, 2002. It requires a parent or guardian to provide opportunities for education to his child or ward between the ages of six and fourteen years.
The ten original duties include respecting the Constitution, the National Flag and the National Anthem; cherishing the ideals of the freedom struggle; upholding the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India; defending the country; promoting harmony and renouncing practices derogatory to the dignity of women; preserving the composite culture; protecting the natural environment; developing a scientific temper; safeguarding public property; and striving for excellence.
In 1999, the Justice J.S. Verma Committee examined ways to make Fundamental Duties operational.
Fundamental Duties Day is observed with Constitution Day on 26 November.
Why not the other options?
- ✗The Sarkaria Commission dealt with Centre-state relations.
- ✗The Balwant Rai Mehta Committee (1957) recommended three-tier panchayati raj.
- ✗The Ashok Mehta Committee (1977-78) recommended two-tier panchayati raj.
Quick tip
Remember: Fundamental Duties = Swaran Singh Committee (1976), 42nd Amendment, Part IVA, Article 51A, from the USSR; 11th duty added by the 86th Amendment (2002).
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Committees & Commissions — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Committees & Commissions, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers the important committees and commissions set up in India, both before and after independence, on subjects such as administration, elections, Centre-state relations, local government, education, banking and the economy, along with their chairpersons and key recommendations. Questions usually name a committee and ask what it dealt with, or name a subject and ask which committee examined it. Examples include the Dhar and JVP committees on the linguistic reorganisation of states, the Sarkaria Commission on Centre-state relations, and the Narasimham Committee on banking reforms. A table of committee, chairperson and subject is the best way to revise. Practise the committees and commissions questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.