Railway
Article 17 of the Constitution of India abolishes, and forbids the practice in any form of:
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Answer: Option C — Untouchability
Detailed Solution
Article 17 declares that "untouchability" is abolished and its practice in any form is forbidden; the enforcement of any disability arising out of untouchability shall be an offence punishable in accordance with law.
Meaning of untouchability:
- Untouchability was a social practice in which certain castes were treated as "untouchable" and were excluded from temples, wells, schools and public places, and were forced to do degrading work.
- The Constitution does not define the word "untouchability", but the courts have held that it refers to the social practice based on caste, and not to untouchability in a literal sense.
Laws to enforce Article 17:
- The Untouchability (Offences) Act, 1955, was passed to punish the practice of untouchability.
- It was amended and renamed the Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955, in 1976.
- The Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, provides stronger punishment for offences against members of these communities.
Nature of the right:
- Article 17 is one of the few Fundamental Rights that are available against private individuals as well as the State.
- The State has a duty to take action to prevent the practice of untouchability.
Background:
Social reformers, such as Jyotirao Phule, Sree Narayana Guru, Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, fought against untouchability.
Gandhi called the "untouchables" "Harijans" (people of God), and founded the Harijan Sevak Sangh.
Dr. Ambedkar led the Mahad Satyagraha (1927) for the right to use water from a public tank, and the Kalaram Temple entry movement (1930).
The Vaikom Satyagraha (1924-25) in Travancore and the Guruvayur Satyagraha (1931-32) were movements for temple entry.
The Right to Equality:
Article 17 is part of the Right to Equality, along with equality before the law, prohibition of discrimination, and equality of opportunity in public employment.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Titles, begar and child labour are dealt with by other Articles of the Constitution.
Quick tip
Remember: Article 17 = abolition of untouchability (Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955; SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act, 1989).
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Fundamental Rights — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Fundamental Rights, 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.
Fundamental Rights are listed in Part III of the Constitution (Articles 12-35). This topic covers the six Fundamental Rights (equality, freedom, against exploitation, freedom of religion, cultural and educational rights, and constitutional remedies), the five writs, and the landmark cases that shaped these rights. Questions usually ask which article guarantees a right (Article 21 for life and personal liberty, Article 17 for abolition of untouchability), which writ serves which purpose, and why the right to property is no longer a Fundamental Right (it was removed by the 44th Amendment in 1978). B. R. Ambedkar called Article 32 the 'heart and soul' of the Constitution. Practise the Fundamental Rights 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.