Article 51A — Fundamental Duties

It shall be the duty of every citizen of India —

(a) to abide by the Constitution and respect its ideals and institutions, the National Flag and the National Anthem;

(b) to cherish and follow the noble ideals which inspired our national struggle for freedom;

(c) to uphold and protect the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India;

(d) to defend the country and render national service when called upon to do so;

(e) to promote harmony and the spirit of common brotherhood amongst all the people of India transcending religious, linguistic and regional or sectional diversities; to renounce practices derogatory to the dignity of women;

(f) to value and preserve the rich heritage of our composite culture;

(g) to protect and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers and wild life, and to have compassion for living creatures;

(h) to develop the scientific temper, humanism and the spirit of inquiry and reform;

(i) to safeguard public property and to abjure violence;

(j) to strive towards excellence in all spheres of individual and collective activity so that the nation constantly rises to higher levels of endeavour and achievement;

(k) 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. [Added by 86th Amendment, 2002]

Source: Constitution of India, as published by the Ministry of Law and Justice.

Fundamental duties were not in the original Constitution; India took inspiration from the Soviet Constitution when the 42nd Amendment inserted ten duties in 1976 during the Emergency under Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. They were recommended by the Swaran Singh Committee. The 86th Amendment (2002) added clause (k) — the duty to send children to school — alongside the insertion of Article 21A. The Verma Committee (1999) recommended making fundamental duties justiciable, but Parliament has not acted on this.

• 42nd Amendment (1976) — Inserted Article 51A with clauses (a) to (j) — ten fundamental duties.
• 86th Amendment (2002) — Added clause (k) — duty of parents to provide educational opportunities to children aged 6–14.

• Article 48A
• Article 21A

Last reviewed: 1 June 2026