Indian Polity: Fundamental Rights and Directive Principles of State Policy

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Sarat Chandra IAS Academy Thu, May 12, 2022 02:09 PM UTC

This pdf contains an introduction to Indian Polity. It includes a brief description of Part III and Part IV of the Indian Constitution i.e. the Fundamental Rights entrusted to the citizens and the Directive Principles of State Policy.

1. INDIAN POLITY
-by Ravi Metta, ICLS
Day – 8 ( 12 May,2022)

2. 1. A FEW CONCEPTS
Discussed in previous classes:
• Rule of Law
• Social contract
• Master servant relationship
• Accountability, Responsibility, answerability
• Federalism and Schedule VII
• Comparative aspect of the Indian constitution – Borrowed features
• Value basis of the constitution, its machinery, roles and responsibilities

3. 1. A FEW CONCEPTS
• Stability and Progress – An organic document
• Historical context of the constitution and its provisions
• Seperation of powers
• Conflict of interest
• Written constitution
• Equity and Equality
• Principles of Natural Justice
• Types of rights – Natural, Human, Constitutional, fundamental
• Due process of law and procedure established by law

4. 2.Fundamental Rights(Part III)
RIGHT TO EQUALITY
A 12 – State
A. 13 – No law to be made in violation of this part
A. 14 – Rule of law
A. 15 and 16 – Basis of discriminations – Reservations
A. 17 – Untouchability
A. 18 - Abolition of Titles

5. 2.Fundamental Rights(Part III)
• RIGHT TO FREEDOM
A 19 – Freedom of speech, assembly, associate, move, reside,
profession, Reasonable restrictions
A 20 – Protection in respect of offences
A 21 – Right to life
A 22 – preventive detention cases

6. 2.Fundamental Rights(Part III)
• RIGHT AGAINST EXPLOITATION
• A 23 - Human trafficking and Forced labour
• A 24 – Child labour
• RIGHT TO FREEDOM OF RELIGION
• A 25 – Practice, profess, propagate
• A 26 – Manage religious affairs
• A 27 – No compulsion to pay taxes
• A 28 - No religious instruction in state funded institutions

7. 2.Fundamental Rights(Part III)
• CULTURAL AND EDUCATIONAL RIGHTS
• A 29, 30 – Minorities – linguisitic and religious and protections
• RIGHT TO CONSTITUTIONAL REMEDIES
• A 32
• Habeas Corpus
• Mandamus
• Quo Warranto
• Prohibition
• Certiorari

8. 2.Fundamental Rights(Part III)
• Habeas Corpus
• To have the body
• Protection against arbitrary imprisonment
• Can be to private persons too
• Mandamus
• We command
• To direct a public or semi-public authority – to discharge a duty
• Commands activity
• Not applicable in case of discretion – must be a statutory requirement
• Not to private persons – like Habeas corpus
• Not against president, governor
• 2 conditions – public duty, not discretionary

9. 2.Fundamental Rights(Part III)
• Quo Warranto
• By what authority, you hold that office
• Enquiry into the legality of the claim which a person asserts, to a public office
• Validity of credentials
• Conditions – public office, created by a statute or by constitution
• Not against a ministerial office

10. 2.Fundamental Rights(Part III)
• Prohibition
• To an inferior court or a semi judicial office
• Prevent them from exercising jurisdiction –
• Generally before the trial
• Mandamus commands activity, prohibition commands inactivity
• Only against a judicial/quasi judicial office
• Certiorari
• Same scope as prohibition
• Used after proceedings started to quash them and transfer to a competent court

11. 2.Fundamental Rights(Part III)
• Circumstances for prohibition and certiorati
• Judicial body doesn’t have jurisdiction
• Exercise excessive jurisdiction
• Natural justice is violated
• Acts on basis of a law that’s struckdown

12. 3.Directive principles of state
policy(Part IV)
1. A. 36 - 51
2. Borrowed from IRELAND. FRs from USA’s Bill of rights
3. 1935 Act – Instruments of instructions
4. Freedom struggle – liberal democratic ideas
5. Fundamental in the governance of the country – A 37
6. Social and economic rights
7. Non justiciable – Economic resources, Social and political development
limitations(UCC), Administrative constraints

13. 3. DPSP (part IV)
8. Guidelines to public policy
9. Keshavananda Bharati case – 1973 – DPSPs can be a source of reasonable
limitation on FR in pursuit of public interest.
10. Influence a wide gamut of policies –
a. Economic,
b. Employment,
c. Decentralisation,
g.

14. 3. DPSP (part IV)
d. Gender,
e. Factory law,
f. Personal laws
g. Environment
h. prohibition
i. separation of powers
j. International

15. 3. DPSP (part IV)
11. Classification
1. Socialistic
2. Gandhian
3. Social
4. International
5. Other

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