Fundamental Rights
The justiciable rights in Part III of the Constitution (Articles 12–35) that protect individuals against state action.
Verified references:Wikipedia
On UPSC.wiki
Study materialMahatma Gandhi and the Indian National Movement (1919–1947) — Part 4: 4. The Civil Disobedience Movement (1930-1934)Part 4: Civil Disobedience Movement (1930-34) — Salt March 12 Mar 1930 (385 km, Dandi 6 Apr), 92,214 jail-goers; Gandhi-Irwin Pact Mar 1931; women's mass participation; British cloth imports halved. Study materialEnlightenmentThe Enlightenment was an intellectual movement in 17th and 18th century Europe that emphasized reason, individual rights, and skepticism of traditional authority, significantly influencing modern democracy and human rights. Study materialRyotwari and Mahalwari Systems: Land Revenue Settlements in Colonial IndiaThe Ryotwari and Mahalwari systems were two colonial land revenue settlements in India that directly impacted peasant livelihoods and contributed to agrarian distress. Study materialThe Constituent Assembly: Drafting the Indian Constitution, B.R. Ambedkar and Key DebatesThe Constituent Assembly of India, established in 1946, was responsible for drafting the Indian Constitution, with Dr. B.R. Ambedkar as its principal architect, and it engaged in significant debates on rights, representation, and the structure of governance. Study materialGovernment of India Acts 1909, 1919, and 1935: Constitutional EvolutionGovernment of India Acts of 1909, 1919, and 1935 represent the three major milestones of British constitutional concessions to Indian demands for self-governance — each act expanded legislative repres... Study materialCivil Disobedience Movement and Salt Satyagraha 1930Civil Disobedience Movement of 1930 was the most dramatic and internationally visible of Gandhi's mass campaigns, launched with the 241-mile Dandi March on March 12, 1930 — when Gandhi and 78 chosen v... Study materialConstituent Assembly of IndiaThe Constituent Assembly of India, convened in 1946, was responsible for drafting the Constitution, marking a significant moment of Indian self-determination and democratic governance. Study materialSurya Sen (Masterda)Surya Sen, known as Masterda, was a prominent Bengali revolutionary who led the Chittagong Armoury Raid in 1930, symbolizing armed resistance against British colonial rule in India. Study materialSocial Reform Movements: Brahmo Samaj, Arya Samaj and 19th Century Indian RenaissanceThe Brahmo Samaj and Arya Samaj were pivotal social reform movements in 19th-century India that sought to address social issues like caste discrimination and women's rights, drawing on Enlightenment ideals and Vedic traditions. Study materialSwadeshi Movement and Bengal Partition 1905: Economic Nationalism and the Rise of ExtremismThe Swadeshi Movement, ignited by the 1905 partition of Bengal, marked a pivotal shift in India's freedom struggle, fostering economic nationalism and the rise of extremist factions within the Indian National Congress. Study materialRevolt of 1857: The Sepoy Mutiny, Causes, Key Leaders and Historical SignificanceThe Revolt of 1857, also known as the Sepoy Mutiny, was India's largest armed uprising against British colonial rule, marked by widespread participation from various sections of society and significant military and political consequences. Current affairsPMAY-U 2.0: Original Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana Urban Concludes September 2026, Successor Targets 1 Crore More FamiliesAs the original Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban) concludes in September 2026 after completing approximately 1 crore houses in over 11 years, its successor — PMAY-U 2.0, approved by the Union Cabinet on August 9, 2024 — is now in full implementation. The new phase targets 1 crore additional urban families with a total investment of ₹10 lakh crore over five years, prioritising women's homeownership and affordable rental housing. Current affairsBadri Cattle Conservation: First OPU-IVF Calf Born at GBPUAT Pantnagar — Indigenous Breed MilestoneA healthy female calf of the indigenous Badri cattle breed was born on September 11, 2026 at G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology (GBPUAT), Pantnagar, Uttarakhand, through OPU-IVF (Ovum Pick-Up In Vitro Fertilisation) — a first for this rare Himalayan breed. The milestone, achieved jointly by GBPUAT and ICAR-NDRI Karnal, marks a significant advance in conservation biotechnology for India's indigenous mountain cattle. Current affairsEPFO Wage Ceiling Hiked from ₹15,000 to ₹25,000: 51 Lakh New Workers Under Social SecurityThe Union Cabinet on September 16, 2026 approved raising the mandatory EPFO (Employees' Provident Fund Organisation) wage ceiling from ₹15,000 to ₹25,000 per month — the first revision in 12 years since 2014. This brings approximately 51 lakh additional workers into the formal social security net, covering provident fund savings, EPS pension, and EDLI life insurance. Current affairsShahzad Bhatti Network (SBN) Designated 46th Terrorist Organisation Under UAPA 2026The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) designated the Shahzad Bhatti Network (SBN) as a terrorist organisation — the 46th such designation under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 (UAPA). The SBN is a Pakistan-based network accused of financing, recruiting, and coordinating terrorist activities against India, particularly in Jammu and Kashmir. Current affairs18th BRICS Summit 2026: New Delhi Declaration — India's Chairmanship, UN Reform, and Global South AgendaIndia hosted the 18th BRICS Summit at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, on September 12–13, 2026, under its 2026 BRICS Chairmanship. The 11-member bloc adopted the New Delhi Declaration — a 140-point document covering United Nations reform, multilateral trade, artificial intelligence governance, climate finance, and the Palestinian conflict. Current affairsCoastal Local Area Bank Achieves Scheduled Bank Status: India's First LAB Included in Second Schedule of RBI ActThe Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has included Coastal Local Area Bank Limited, Vijayawada — India's first-ever Local Area Bank — in the Second Schedule to the RBI Act, 1934, granting it Scheduled Bank status. The RBI subsequently amended the CRR and SLR directions for Local Area Banks to incorporate scheduled bank provisions including Incremental CRR and daily minimum CRR maintenance. Current affairsSupreme Court Directs States to Raise District Judges' Retirement Age: Pendency Crisis, Constitutional Framework, and Judicial ReformA Supreme Court bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant directed all States and Union Territories on September 1, 2026, to consider raising the retirement age of district judiciary judicial officers from 60 to 61/62 years, in the long-pending case All India Judges Association v. Union of India (W.P.(C) No. 1022/1989). The direction is driven by over 5.18 crore pending cases in district courts and 1,744 vacancies, and is contested by 10 States citing financial constraints. Current affairsSupreme Court Issues Fresh Directions Against Digital Arrest Scams: RBI Ordered to Frame SOP on Mule Accounts Within Four WeeksThe Supreme Court of India has issued fresh nationwide directions to combat digital arrest scams, ordering the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to frame a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for handling mule bank accounts within four weeks, directing states to operationalise cyber fraud grievance mechanisms and e-Zero FIRs, and requiring the SOP to be shared with every High Court Registrar General. Complaints on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal fell sharply from 1,23,672 in 2024 to 16,377 by June 30, 2026. Current affairsMahatma Ayyankali's 163rd Birth Anniversary: The Social Revolutionary Who Gave Kerala's Dalits the Right to Walk on Public RoadsAugust 28, 2026 marks the 163rd birth anniversary of Mahatma Ayyankali (1863–1941), the pioneering social reformer and Dalit rights leader from Travancore (present-day Kerala) who led mass campaigns for freedom of movement on public roads, access to education for Dalit children, and labour rights for agricultural workers — transforming Kerala's caste-ridden social landscape. Current affairs31st Southern Zonal Council Meeting, Mahabalipuram 2026: AP Reorganisation Act, Water Sharing, and Fast Track Courts on AgendaUnion Home Minister Amit Shah chaired the 31st meeting of the Southern Zonal Council at Mamallapuram (near Chennai), Tamil Nadu, on August 20, 2026, bringing together the Chief Ministers and senior representatives of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Keralam, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana to address key inter-state issues including Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act commitments, water-sharing disputes, and Fast Track Special Courts for women's safety. Current affairsSupreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026: Sanctioned Strength Raised from 34 to 38 — Tackling 92,000+ Case BacklogParliament has passed the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2026, raising the apex court's sanctioned strength from 34 to 38 judges (including the Chief Justice). The Bill replaces the May 2026 ordinance and amends the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956 — a direct response to the 92,000+ case pendency crisis in India's highest court. Current affairsSupreme Court Directs 19 States and UTs to Declare Cancer a Notifiable Disease for Early Detection and Uniform CareA Supreme Court bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant directed 19 states and Union Territories to declare cancer a "notifiable disease" to enable systematic early detection, uniform treatment, and data-driven public health planning. The order came in a PIL filed by Dr Anurag Srivastava, a former AIIMS surgeon, noting that only 17 of India's 36 states and UTs had complied with a parliamentary standing committee recommendation to notify cancer.
In previous-year questions
- The Supreme Court's direction on cancer notification (August 2026) is rooted in the right to health under Article 21. Which landmark Supreme Court judgment first explicitly held that denial of emergency medical treatment violates Article 21's right to life?UPSC · Current Affairs
- Zonal Councils in India were established under which of the following? (1) Article 263 of the Constitution of India (2) Part III of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956 (3) North-Eastern Council Act, 1971 (4) Inter-State Council Order, 1990UPSC · Current Affairs
- Which Constitutional Article, inserted by the 86th Constitutional Amendment Act, 2002, guarantees the Right to Free and Compulsory Education for children between the ages of 6 and 14 years?UPSC · Current Affairs
- In the ongoing suo motu case on digital arrest scams, the Supreme Court's power to issue directions to executive bodies like the RBI and state governments — even beyond the scope of a specific statutory challenge — derives primarily from which constitutional provision?UPSC · Current Affairs
- The Directive Principle under Article 43 of the Indian Constitution, which mandates the State to secure a living wage for workers, is the constitutional basis for social security legislation like the EPFO. In which Part of the Constitution are Directive Principles of State Policy contained, and what is their key legal characteristic?UPSC · Current Affairs
- Article 17 of the Indian Constitution, which abolishes untouchability, has a unique feature compared to most Fundamental Rights. Which of the following correctly describes this uniqueness?UPSC · Current Affairs