SSC · Police
'To defend the country and render national service when called upon to do so' is a Fundamental Duty under:
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Answer: Option A — Article 51A(d)
Detailed Solution
Article 51A, in Part IVA of the Constitution, lists the Fundamental Duties of every citizen of India. There are eleven duties, labelled (a) to (k). Ten were added by the 42nd Amendment (1976) and one by the 86th Amendment (2002). The list is:
- To abide by the Constitution and respect its ideals and institutions, the National Flag and the National Anthem.
- To cherish and follow the noble ideals that inspired the national struggle for freedom.
- To uphold and protect the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India.
- To defend the country and render national service when called upon to do so.
- To promote harmony and the spirit of common brotherhood among all the people of India, transcending religious, linguistic, regional or sectional diversities, and to renounce practices derogatory to the dignity of women.
- To value and preserve the rich heritage of our composite culture.
- To protect and improve the natural environment, including forests, lakes, rivers and wildlife, and to have compassion for living creatures.
- To develop the scientific temper, humanism and the spirit of inquiry and reform.
- To safeguard public property and to abjure violence.
- To strive towards excellence in all spheres of individual and collective activity.
- To provide opportunities for education to one's child or ward between the ages of six and fourteen years (added in 2002).
Fundamental Duties apply only to citizens, not to foreigners. They are non-justiciable, meaning courts cannot directly enforce them, but some are supported by laws, such as the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971 and wildlife and environment laws. The duty in clause (d) supports the idea that citizens may be called upon for national service, including in the defence of the country.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Article 51A(a) is the duty to abide by the Constitution and respect the Flag and the Anthem.
- ✗Article 51A(c) is the duty to uphold the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India.
- ✗Article 51A(g) is the duty to protect the natural environment.
Quick tip
Remember: 51A(a) Constitution, Flag and Anthem; (c) sovereignty and unity; (d) defend the country; (g) environment; (h) scientific temper; (k) education of children (86th Amendment).
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DPSP & Fundamental Duties — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of DPSP & Fundamental Duties, 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 Directive Principles of State Policy in Part IV (Articles 36-51), borrowed from the Irish Constitution, and the Fundamental Duties in Part IV-A (Article 51A), added on the recommendation of the Swaran Singh Committee by the 42nd Amendment in 1976. Questions often ask which article contains a directive (Article 44 on a uniform civil code, Article 40 on village panchayats, Article 45 on early childhood care), how DPSP differ from Fundamental Rights (they cannot be enforced in court), and how many Fundamental Duties there are now (eleven, after the 86th Amendment added the eleventh in 2002). Practise the DPSP and Fundamental Duties 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.