Fundamental Rights

Last updated: 3 October 2026

Fundamental Rights are given in Part III of the Constitution, in Articles 12 to 35. They are called “fundamental” because they are essential for the all-round development of a person, and they are protected by the courts. The idea was taken from the Bill of Rights of the USA.

The six Fundamental Rights

The Constitution originally had seven Fundamental Rights. The Right to Property (Article 31) was removed by the 44th Amendment Act, 1978; it is now a legal right under Article 300A.

Right	Articles
Right to Equality	14 to 18
Right to Freedom	19 to 22
Right against Exploitation	23 and 24
Right to Freedom of Religion	25 to 28
Cultural and Educational Rights	29 and 30
Right to Constitutional Remedies	32

Important articles

Article	What it says
14	Equality before law and equal protection of laws.
15	No discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth.
16	Equality of opportunity in public employment.
17	Abolition of untouchability.
18	Abolition of titles (except military and academic distinctions).
19	Six freedoms: speech and expression; to assemble peacefully; to form associations, unions or co-operative societies; to move freely; to reside and settle; to practise any profession, trade or business.
20	Protection in respect of conviction for offences (no ex post facto law, no double jeopardy, no self-incrimination).
21	Protection of life and personal liberty.
21A	Free and compulsory education for children aged 6 to 14 (added by the 86th Amendment, 2002).
22	Protection against arrest and detention in certain cases.
23	Ban on traffic in human beings and forced labour.
24	Ban on employment of children below 14 in factories, mines and hazardous work.
25	Freedom of conscience and free profession, practice and propagation of religion.
26	Freedom to manage religious affairs.
27	No tax to be paid for the promotion of any religion.
28	Freedom from religious instruction in certain educational institutions.
29	Protection of the language, script and culture of minorities.
30	Right of minorities to establish and run educational institutions.
32	Right to move the Supreme Court for enforcement of Fundamental Rights.

Article 32 and the five writs

Dr B. R. Ambedkar called Article 32 the “heart and soul of the Constitution”. The Supreme Court issues writs under Article 32 and the High Courts under Article 226.

Writ	Meaning
Habeas Corpus	"To have the body": produce a detained person before the court.
Mandamus	"We command": orders a public official to do a duty.
Prohibition	Stops a lower court from going beyond its jurisdiction.
Certiorari	"To be certified": transfers or quashes the order of a lower court.
Quo Warranto	"By what authority": asks a person by what right they hold a public office.