Rights In The Indian Constitution — NCERT Solutions

No, I do not agree.

The chapter shows that Fundamental Rights are necessary for every citizen, especially for the poor, because they protect people from exploitation, discrimination, and injustice. The poor need these rights so that they can demand:

• equality before law,
• protection against forced labour and exploitation,
• freedom of speech and expression,
• life and personal liberty,
• and access to justice through Right to Constitutional Remedies.

The Directive Principles are also important because they guide the government to promote welfare, but they are not legally enforceable. If they were made binding without Fundamental Rights, the poor would still not have a direct legal remedy when their basic freedoms are violated. So both are needed, and Fundamental Rights cannot be replaced by Directive Principles.

The children and adults are being forced to continue in a degrading occupation, which violates the Right against Exploitation. Refusing them other jobs violates the Right to Equality and equality of opportunity in public employment. Discouraging their children from education violates the Right to Education and also affects their equality and dignity.

This case involves several rights linked together:

• Right to life and personal liberty: starvation and hunger threaten a dignified life.
• Right to livelihood: people need food and support to survive.
• Right to equality: ration cardholders must be treated fairly and given access to public welfare measures.
• It is also connected to the Directive Principles, especially the goal of welfare and the right to an adequate livelihood.

The court could be requested to order the government to:

• improve the public distribution system,
• make sure food grains actually reach needy people,
• provide correct information to ration cardholders,
• and ensure proper implementation of welfare schemes so that no one suffers from hunger and starvation.

Yes, these rights should be seen as part of the right to life, because a person cannot live with dignity without food and basic security.

I agree with Somnath Lahiri to a large extent.

He argued that many Fundamental Rights were framed with too many restrictions and safeguards for the government. The chapter supports this view by showing that rights such as freedom of speech, peaceful assembly, and religion are subject to restrictions like public order, morality, health, and law and order. Also, the chapter discusses preventive detention, which allows arrest without a normal trial in some situations. These examples show that rights are not absolute.

However, these restrictions are included to balance one person’s liberty with the freedom and safety of others. So while I agree that rights can be limited too much, I also understand that some restrictions are necessary in a democracy.

The Right to life and personal liberty is the most important Fundamental Right.

Provisions

It says that no person shall be deprived of life or personal liberty except according to procedure established by law. The chapter also explains that this right includes:

• the right to live with human dignity,
• freedom from exploitation,
• right to shelter,
• right to livelihood,
• protection against unlawful arrest,
• the right to be told the grounds of arrest,
• the right to defend oneself by a lawyer,
• and production before a magistrate within 24 hours.

Why it is the most important

• Without life and personal liberty, other rights cannot be enjoyed.
• It protects a person’s dignity and basic survival.
• It is directly connected with fair treatment, freedom, and justice.
• The chapter’s examples, like Machal Lalung’s case, show how serious the denial of this right can be.

So this right is the foundation on which other rights depend.