Law Legal Studies · Civics Polity

Fundamental and Human Rights

1,430 Questions

This set of questions covers fundamental rights, human rights, and constitutional provisions like the Right against Exploitation. It also explores international declarations and individual liberties. These topics are frequently tested in UPSC and state PSC examinations.

Constitutional provisionsInternational human rightsRight to privacyMinority rightsRight against exploitation

Fundamental and Human Rights Questions

Multiple choice

Which of the following is a bulwark of personal freedom?

  1. Mandamus

  2. Habeas Corpus

  3. Quo Warranto

  4. Certiorari
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Habeas Corpus is a writ that protects personal liberty by preventing unlawful detention. It literally means to have the body, ensuring a prisoner can be brought before a court to determine the legality of their imprisonment.

Multiple choice

Which class of rights protects the freedom of an individual from infringement by government and private organisations?

  1. Claim rights

  2. Liberty rights

  3. Civil rights

  4. Natural rights

  5. Group rights
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protects freedom of an individual from infringement by government and private organisations and ensures his ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.

Multiple choice

Which of the following is a bulwark of personal freedom?

  1. Mandamus

  2. Habeas Corpus

  3. Quo Warranto

  4. Certiorari
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Habeas Corpus, which literally means 'to have the body', is a writ used to bring a prisoner or other detainee before the court to determine if the person's imprisonment or detention is lawful. It is considered a fundamental bulwark of personal liberty.

Multiple choice

Which of the following is not one of the 10 fundamental duties of an Indian citizen?

  1. Safeguard public property

  2. Preserve the rich heritage of the nation's composite culture

  3. Protect the natural environment and have compassion for living creatures

  4. Ensure that each child of school going age gets basic education

  5. Cherish the noble ideals of the freedom struggle
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

The fundamental duties are listed under Article 51A of the Indian Constitution. While education is a fundamental right (Article 21A), the specific duty regarding education was added later as the 11th duty, not part of the original 10.

Multiple choice

Right to Equality, before the law, is a/an

  1. civil right

  2. economic right

  3. social right

  4. political right
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Explanation: Option (1) is correct: Right to Equality before the law is a civil right and available to the citzens only.

Multiple choice

Under Article 14 of the constitution, a state cannot arbitrarily discriminate between citizens.

The state of X land (having a constitution exactly similar to that of India), by a much publicised legislation, seeks to differentiate between ordinary citizens and prostitutes by giving the latter a special status owing to the nature of their profession and asking them to live outside the city as they are spoiling the image and character of the cities. The legislation is widely opposed saying that it falls foul of Article 14 of the constitution.

Which of the following is correct?

  1. It is not foul as the government is justified in improving the standard of life of the citizens under the Directive Principles of State Policy by protecting the image and character of the cities.

  2. It is not foul as prostitutes, by the very nature of their trade, should expect such actions from the government.

  3. It is foul as there is no legitimate connexion between the actions of the state and the objective sought to be achieved.

  4. It is foul as prostitutes are also citizens and deserve to be treated humanely.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Option 1: No, since no citizen can be discriminated arbitrarily as this violates Article 14 of the constitution. Preserving the image or character is an arbitrary excuse. This also means that prostitutes have no image or character. Option 2: No, it is foul as the legislation flouts Article 14 of the constitution. Option 3: Yes. Objective of preserving the image or character of cities is not served by the legislation as the children of prostitutes who themselves are no longer prostitutes shall have to face this discrimination from birth, for being forced to live outside the cities and not mix with city children. The legislation, can in fact, lead to a social crisis, which shall malign the image and character of all involved - City people, prostitutes, government. Option 4: No, prostitutes are as much citizens as are ordinary citizens; it is their right to live freely in cities. No mercy is warranted. No lame or arbitrary decision should engender any kind of discrimination against them.

Multiple choice

Assertion (A): Any law made in contravention of Part III (Fundamental Rights) clause shall, to the extent of the contravention, will be void. Reason (R): The fundamental rights are the rights reserved by the people and for this reason they are eternal and sacrosanct.

  1. Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).

  2. Both (A) and (R) are true, but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A).

  3. (A) is true, but (R) is false.

  4. (A) is false, but (R) is true.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation
  1. Article 13 of the Indian constitution states that all laws in force in the territory of India immediately before the commencement of this constitution, in so far as they are inconsistent with the provisions of this part, shall to the extent of such inconsistency, be void. Fundamental rights which are guaranteed by the constitution are permanent in nature. Thus, both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
    1. R is the correct explanation of A. Thus, it is an invalid option.
    2. The fundamental rights are the rights of the individual citizens guaranteed by the constitution. The Parliament cannot take away or abridge any of the fundamental rights, which are sacrosanct or eternal in nature. Thus, R is true.
    3. Any law made in contravention of Part III which guarantees fundamental rights shall, to the extent of the contravention, be void. A is the legal provision under constitution. Hence, it is true.
Multiple choice

Assertion (A): The right to life is available to all people. Reason (R): It gives the right to live with human dignity and includes rights such as right to clean environment, water, education, health, livelihood, shelter and basic amenities that the state shall provide.

  1. Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).

  2. Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is not the correct explanation of (A).

  3. (A) is true, but (R) is false.

  4. (A) is false, but (R) is true.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The right to life is a moral principle based on the belief that a human being has the right to live and, in particular, should not be killed by another human being. It is a fundamental right given by the constitution of India which gives the right to live with human dignity.

Multiple choice

Which of the following was declared as a human right essential to the full enjoyment of life by the United Nations General Assembly recently?

  1. Access to primary and secondary education

  2. Access to food and shelter

  3. Access to clean water and sanitation

  4. Access to communication and mobility

  5. Access to natural resources
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Access to clean water and sanitation was declared as a human right essential to the full enjoyment of life by the United Nations General Assembly recently.

Multiple choice

Which of the following Fundamental Rights is also available to a foreigner on the soil of India?

  1. Equality of opportunity in the matter of public employment.

  2. Freedoms of movement, residence and profession.

  3. Protection from discrimination on grounds only of religion, race, case or sex.

  4. Protection of life and personal liberty against action without authority of law.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Protection of life and personal liberty against action without authority of law is available to every person and not only to the citizens of India.  

Multiple choice

Which of the following rights of citizens of India is justiciable and can be enforced through the court of law?

  1. Equality of opportunity of matters of public employment.

  2. Right to adequate means of livelihood.

  3. Right to equal opportunity for justice and free legal aid.

  4. Right of children to free and compulsory education.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Equality of opportunity of matters of public employment being a fundamental right under Part III of the Constitution is justiciable and can be enforced through the court of law.