Fundamental Rights MCQ & Notes — Articles 12-35, Six Rights and Key Amendments for UPSC, SSC

Fundamental Rights MCQ & Notes — Articles 12-35, the Six Rights and Key Amendments for UPSC, SSC

Fundamental Rights (Part III of the Constitution, Articles 12–35) are the single most tested block of Indian Polity in UPSC Prelims, SSC CGL, SSC CHSL, State PSC and judiciary exams. This guide covers the six Fundamental Rights, article-wise details, how the list has changed over time (Right to Property removed, Right to Privacy added) and the grounds on which these rights can be restricted — followed by 10 practice MCQs with answers.

Why This Topic Matters for Competitive Exams

Part III is often called the "Magna Carta of India" and is examined almost every year — both as direct article-matching questions ("Article 21 deals with...") and as applied questions based on recent Supreme Court judgments. Because each right maps to a precise article range, this topic is a favourite for matching-type and assertion-reason MCQs.

What Are Fundamental Rights?

Fundamental Rights are basic guarantees enshrined in Part III (Articles 12–35) of the Constitution of India, inspired in part by the Bill of Rights in the US Constitution. They are justiciable — a citizen can move the Supreme Court (Article 32) or a High Court (Article 226) directly if any of these rights is violated. Originally there were seven Fundamental Rights; there are now six, after the Right to Property was removed from Part III by the 44th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1978.

The Six Fundamental Rights

Right	Articles	Covers
Right to Equality	14–18	Equality before law, prohibition of discrimination, equality of opportunity in public employment, abolition of untouchability, abolition of titles
Right to Freedom	19–22	Six freedoms (speech, assembly, association, movement, residence, profession), protection in respect of conviction, protection of life and personal liberty, protection against arrest and detention
Right against Exploitation	23–24	Prohibition of traffic in human beings and forced labour; prohibition of employment of children below 14 in hazardous work
Right to Freedom of Religion	25–28	Freedom of conscience and free profession, practice and propagation of religion; freedom to manage religious affairs; freedom from religious instruction in wholly state-funded institutions
Cultural and Educational Rights	29–30	Protection of the interests of minorities; right of minorities to establish and administer educational institutions of their choice
Right to Constitutional Remedies	32	Right to move the Supreme Court for enforcement of Fundamental Rights — called the "heart and soul" of the Constitution by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar

Article-wise Quick Reference

• Article 12 — Defines "the State" for the purposes of Part III (Union and State governments, Parliament, State legislatures, local and other authorities).
• Article 13 — Any law inconsistent with or in derogation of Fundamental Rights is void.
• Article 14 — Equality before law and equal protection of laws.
• Article 15 — Prohibition of discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth.
• Article 16 — Equality of opportunity in matters of public employment.
• Article 17 — Abolition of untouchability in any form.
• Article 18 — Abolition of titles, except military and academic distinctions.
• Article 19 — The six freedoms: speech and expression, assembly, association, movement, residence, and profession/occupation.
• Article 20 — Protection in respect of conviction for offences (no ex-post-facto law, no double jeopardy, no self-incrimination).
• Article 21 — Protection of life and personal liberty — no person shall be deprived of it except by procedure established by law.
• Article 21A — Right to free and compulsory education for children aged 6–14 (added by the 86th Amendment Act, 2002).
• Article 22 — Protection against arrest and detention in certain cases, including safeguards for preventive detention.
• Articles 23–24 — Right against Exploitation (as above).
• Articles 25–28 — Right to Freedom of Religion (as above).
• Articles 29–30 — Cultural and Educational Rights (as above).
• Article 32 — Right to Constitutional Remedies; empowers the Supreme Court to issue writs (habeas corpus, mandamus, prohibition, quo warranto, certiorari) for enforcement of Fundamental Rights.

Fundamental Rights That Changed Over Time

• Right to Property removed: Originally Article 31 guaranteed the Right to Property as a Fundamental Right. The 44th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1978 removed it from Part III; it now exists as a legal right under Article 300A in Part XII of the Constitution.
• Right to Privacy read into Article 21: In Justice K.S. Puttaswamy (Retd.) v. Union of India (2017), a nine-judge bench of the Supreme Court unanimously held that the right to privacy is a fundamental right protected under Article 21, overruling the earlier M.P. Sharma and Kharak Singh judgments.
• Right to Education added: The 86th Amendment Act, 2002 inserted Article 21A, making free and compulsory education a Fundamental Right for children aged 6 to 14.

Restrictions on Fundamental Rights

Fundamental Rights are not absolute. Article 19(2) to 19(6) allow the State to impose "reasonable restrictions" on the six freedoms on grounds such as sovereignty and integrity of India, security of the State, public order, decency or morality, and contempt of court. During a National Emergency (Article 352), Article 358 automatically suspends the freedoms under Article 19, and Article 359 allows the President to suspend the enforcement of other Fundamental Rights (except Articles 20 and 21, which remain protected even during Emergency, per the 44th Amendment).

Fundamental Rights MCQ — Practice Questions

Q1. Fundamental Rights are enshrined in which Part of the Constitution?
A. Part II B. Part III C. Part IV D. Part V
Answer: B. Part III

Q2. Which Article empowers a citizen to move the Supreme Court directly for enforcement of Fundamental Rights?
A. Article 19 B. Article 21 C. Article 32 D. Article 226
Answer: C. Article 32

Q3. The Right to Property was removed as a Fundamental Right by which amendment?
A. 42nd Amendment B. 44th Amendment C. 86th Amendment D. 73rd Amendment
Answer: B. 44th Amendment

Q4. Article 21A, which provides the Right to Education, was added by which amendment?
A. 42nd Amendment, 1976 B. 44th Amendment, 1978 C. 86th Amendment, 2002 D. 73rd Amendment, 1992
Answer: C. 86th Amendment, 2002

Q5. Which right did the Supreme Court read into Article 21 in the Puttaswamy case (2017)?
A. Right to Property B. Right to Privacy C. Right to Education D. Right against Exploitation
Answer: B. Right to Privacy

Q6. Untouchability in any form is abolished under which Article?
A. Article 15 B. Article 16 C. Article 17 D. Article 18
Answer: C. Article 17

Q7. The Right against Exploitation is covered under which Articles?
A. 19–22 B. 23–24 C. 25–28 D. 29–30
Answer: B. 23–24

Q8. Which Articles remain enforceable even during a National Emergency under the 44th Amendment safeguard?
A. Articles 19 and 21 B. Articles 20 and 21 C. Articles 21 and 32 D. Articles 14 and 19
Answer: B. Articles 20 and 21

Q9. Who described Article 32 as the "heart and soul" of the Constitution?
A. Jawaharlal Nehru B. Dr. Rajendra Prasad C. Dr. B.R. Ambedkar D. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
Answer: C. Dr. B.R. Ambedkar

Q10. Article 300A, under which the Right to Property now exists, falls under which Part of the Constitution?
A. Part III B. Part IV C. Part XII D. Part XVIII
Answer: C. Part XII

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. How many Fundamental Rights are there in the Indian Constitution today?
Six — Right to Equality, Right to Freedom, Right against Exploitation, Right to Freedom of Religion, Cultural and Educational Rights, and Right to Constitutional Remedies. The Right to Property (originally the seventh) was removed by the 44th Amendment Act, 1978.

Q. What is the difference between Fundamental Rights and Directive Principles of State Policy?
Fundamental Rights (Part III) are justiciable and enforceable in courts, while Directive Principles (Part IV) are non-justiciable guidelines for governance that the State is expected to apply while making laws.

Q. Is the Right to Privacy a Fundamental Right?
Yes. The Supreme Court's nine-judge bench in the Puttaswamy case (2017) held that the right to privacy is intrinsic to the right to life and personal liberty guaranteed under Article 21.

Practice More on Indian Polity

Test your understanding with the free Fundamental Rights quiz on FreePrep, and check out the Preamble of the Indian Constitution MCQ for more Polity practice. You can also attempt today's free daily quiz for a mix of current affairs and polity questions.