Common questions on Indian Politics

List of fundamental duties of the citizens of India in Article 51A of the Indian Constitution :

1. to abide by the constitution and respect its ideal and institutions;

2. to cherish and follow the noble ideals which inspired our national struggle for freedom;

3. to uphold and protect the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India;

4. to defend the country and render national service when called upon to do so;

5. to promote harmony and the spirit of common brotherhood amongst all the people of India   transcending religious, linguistic and regional diversities, to renounce practices derogatory to the   dignity of women;

6. to value and preserve the rich heritage of our composite culture;

7. to protect and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers, and wild-life       and to have compassion for living creatures;

8. to develop the scientific temper, humanism and the spirit of inquiry and reform;

9. to safeguard public property and to abjure violence;

10. to strive towards excellence in all spheres of individual and collective activity

11. who is a parent or guardian , to provide opportunities for education to his child, or as the case may be, ward between the age of six and fourteen years.

The Judiciary is the guardian of fundamental Rights enumerated in Indian Constitution.

In a criminal case, the judge has the power to decide whether the accused's rights have been violated.

As with most disputes, the courts decide when a right has been violated. They then have the power to act in order.

Here the Supreme Court is the Highest of the Judiciary in India.

An idea for a Constituent Assembly of India was proposed in 1934 by M. N. Roy, a pioneer of the Communist movement in India and an advocate of radical democracy. It became an official demand of the Indian National Congress in 1935, C. Rajagopalachari voiced the demand for a constituent Assembly on 15 November 1939 based on adult franchise, and was accepted by the British in August 1940.

Under the Cabinet Mission Plan of 1946, elections were held for the first time for the Constituent Assembly. The Constitution of India was drafted by the Constituent Assembly, and it was implemented under the Cabinet Mission Plan on 16 May 1946.

The Constituent Assembly appointed a total of 22 committees to deal with different tasks of constitution-making. Out of these, eight were major committees and the others were minor committees.

The Major Committees and its Chairman's:: 

1. Drafting Committee – Dr. B.R. Ambedkar

2. Union Powers Committee – Jawaharlal Nehru

3. Union Constitution Committee – Jawaharlal Nehru

4. Provincial Constitution Committee – Sardar Patel

5. Advisory Committee on Fundamental Rights, Minorities and Tribal and Excluded Areas – Sardar Patel. This committee had the following subcommittees:
* Fundamental Rights Sub-Committee – J.B. Kripalani
 * Minorities Sub-Committee – Harendra Coomar Mookerjee,
   * North-East Frontier Tribal Areas and Assam Excluded & Partially Excluded Areas Sub-Committee – Gopinath Bardoloi
* Excluded and Partially Excluded Areas (Other than those in Assam) Sub-Committee – A V Thakkar

6. Rules of Procedure Committee – Dr. Rajendra Prasad

7. States Committee (Committee for Negotiating with States) – Jawaharlal Nehru

8. Steering Committee – Dr. Rajendra Prasad

Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, chairman of the Drafting Committee of Constituent Assembly of India.

The late YB Chavan of the Congress(I) was given the official status of the Leader of the Opposition, with the rank of a Cabinet Minister, in the Lok Sabha, in 1977 by the janata Government. Chavan was thus the first opposition leader to enjoy this status. Dr Ram Subhag Singh of Congress (O) was the first formally recognised opposition leader in Parliament in 1969.