Our Goals, Rights and Duties

When India got freedom from the British rule on 15th August, 1947, the immediate task before our leaders was to form a government. Hence, it was vital to have a constitution which could provide the guidelines to direct and rule. So a Constituent Assembly was set up. Dr Rajendra Prasad was elected as its President. Dr B.R.Ambedkar was appointed as the chairman of the Constitution Drafting Committee. It took three years for the Assembly to prepare a draft of our Constitution. Our Constitution was adopted on 26th January, 1950 and India was declared a sovereign, socialist, democratic republic.

Our Goals - The Indian Constitution has laid down three national goals of the Indian Republic:

• Democracy: It means rule of the people, by the people and for the people. Every citizen of India who is 18 years old or above can vote to choose the representatives to form the government. India is the largest democracy in the world. 
• Socialism: It means equal rights for all the people of our country. There should not be any difference between the rich and poor. All citizens are equal in the eyes of law. 
• Secularism: The Constitution of India states that everyone is free to follow their own religion. No discrimination will be made on the basis of religion. 

Fundamental Rights - The Constitution has laid down seven Fundamental Rights for all the citizens of India.

• Right to Equality: All Indians are equal before the law. There should be no discrimination on the basis of caste, religion, sex, region, etc. 
• Right to Freedom: Every Indian is free to express his thoughts and ideas. 
• Right to Choose One's Religion: Every Indian is free to practice any religion he wants. 
• Right Against Exploitation: No Indian citizen can be forced to do anything against his wish. 
• Cultural and Educational Rights: People have the right to preserve their own language and culture. 
• Right to Constitutional Remedies: If a citizen feels that any of his Fundamental Rights are being violated by anybody, he has a right to ask for justice in the court of law. 
• Right to Education: On 1st April, 2010, India passed a historic law for making education a Fundamental Right for children in the 6-14 age group. The Right of Free and Compulsory Education shall directly benefit children who do not go to school at present. For the first time, education has become a constitutional right. 

Fundamental Duties - As citizens of India, we enjoy our rights. At the same time, we are expected to perform our duties towards our country. The fundamental duties mentioned in our Constitution are: 

• To obey the Constitution and have a sense of respect for the ideals contained in it, its institutions, National Flag and National Anthem. 
• To follow those ideals which had inspired the national movement. 
• To defend the sovereignty, harmony and unity of India. 
• To defend the country and whenever needed, to perform national service. 
• To overcome the regional, sectional, religious as well as linguistic diversities and develop a feeling of unity and fraternity. 
• To preserve the natural environment.
• To respect the rich heritage of our culture and keep it alive. 
• To protect public property and give up violence. 
• To develop a sense of scientific temperament, humanism, curiosity and reform. 
• To strive for excellence in all fields of personal and social activities. 
• Every Indian who is a parent or guardian should provide opportunities for education to his child between the age of six to fourteen years. 

Directive Principles of the State Policy - They are the directives to the government. The constitution has laid down some rules which guide the government to function better for the welfare of the people. These are called the Directive Principles. Some of them are:

• The government should promote welfare of all the people. 
• The government should provide better living condition for all the citizens. 
• The government should provide work for all men and women. 
• The government should ensure that no one becomes rich by exploiting others. 
• The government should provide free and compulsory education for children up to 14 years of age. 
• The government should improve the conditions of the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and other weaker sections of the society. 
• The government should work towards protection of environment and wildlife.

Our Goals, Rights and Duties

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