Fundamental Rights, Directive Principles and Fundamental Duties: previous-year questions
32 real UPSC Prelims questions (2011–2026) with the official answer and a clear explanation. 6 of them came in the last five papers.
How often UPSC asks this
Questions per year, counted from the official papers.
Attempt the questions
Newest papers first. Tap an option; the answer and the reason appear instantly.
Consider the following statements :
With reference to the Constitution of India, the Directive Principles of State Policy constitute limitations upon
- 1. legislative function.
- 2. executive function.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
Answer (d) & explanation
Neither statement is correct (d). Directive Principles (Part IV) are positive directions telling the State what it should do, such as securing livelihoods, equal pay and free legal aid. They are not limits on what Parliament or the government can do. Under Article 37, they are not enforceable in court, so a law cannot be struck down just for ignoring a DPSP. It is Fundamental Rights (Part III) that act as limits on both legislative and executive action, through Article 13.
Courts still use DPSPs to read laws and to judge "reasonable restrictions". In Minerva Mills (1980), the Supreme Court said the Constitution rests on the balance between Parts III and IV. Notice Granville Austin's phrase: together they are the "conscience of the Constitution".
"limitations" belongs to Part III. Part IV gives goals, not limits.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Which of the following statements is/are true of the Fundamental Duties of an Indian citizen?
- 1. A legislative process has been provided to enforce these duties.
- 2. They are correlative to legal duties.
Select the correct answer using the code given below :
Answer (d) & explanation
Neither statement is correct (d). Statement 1 is wrong because Article 51A (Part IVA), added by the 42nd Amendment (1976) on the advice of the Swaran Singh Committee, lists duties but provides no way to enforce them. Statement 2 is wrong because the duties are not tied to legal duties in the Constitution. They are mainly moral obligations. Some laws do cover similar ground, such as the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971 and the Wildlife and Forest Acts, but that is separate legislation.
There were 10 duties at first, and the 86th Amendment (2002) added an eleventh, requiring parents to educate children aged 6–14. Notice that the Verma Committee (1999) found ways to put some duties into practice. Courts also use them to judge whether laws are reasonable.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
The ideal of 'Welfare State' in the Indian Constitution is enshrined in its
Answer (b) & explanation
The ideal of a Welfare State is enshrined in the Directive Principles of State Policy (b). Article 38 asks the State to promote the welfare of the people by securing social, economic and political justice, and other articles cover livelihood, fair wages, health and education. The Preamble (a) states the goal of justice but does not lay out welfare duties. Fundamental Rights (c) are limits on the State, and the Seventh Schedule (d) divides subjects.
UPSC repeated this question almost word for word in 2020. Notice how welfare laws like the Food Security Act give life to these principles.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
"To uphold and protect the Sovereignty, Unity and Integrity of India" is a provision made in the
Answer (d) & explanation
"To uphold and protect the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India" is a Fundamental Duty under Article 51A(c) (d). The Preamble (a) speaks of "unity and integrity of the Nation" but not in these exact words. The Directive Principles (b) and Fundamental Rights (c) do not contain this provision.
The Fundamental Duties were added by the 42nd Amendment (1976) on the advice of the Swaran Singh Committee, and the eleventh duty, on education for children, came through the 86th Amendment (2002). They draw on the Soviet Constitution. Notice how rights and duties are meant to go together.
the Preamble has "unity and integrity of the Nation". Look for the verbs "uphold and protect", which belong to Part IVA.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Consider the following statements regarding the Directive Principles of State Policy :
- 1. The Principles spell out the socio-economic democracy in the country.
- 2. The provisions contained in these Principles are not enforceable by any court.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer (c) & explanation
Both statements are correct (c). Fundamental Rights give political democracy; the Directive Principles aim at social and economic democracy: livelihood, fair wages, health, education and reduced inequality (1). Article 37 makes them non-justiciable: no court can enforce them, though they are fundamental in the governance of the country (2).
B. R. Ambedkar called them "novel features" of the Constitution, and they draw on the Irish Constitution. In Minerva Mills (1980) the Court held that harmony between Fundamental Rights and DPSPs is part of the basic structure. Notice how many laws, from MGNREGA to the RTE, give life to these principles.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
In the Constitution of India, promotion of international peace and security is included in the
Answer (b) & explanation
Article 51, the last of the Directive Principles (Part IV), directs the State to promote international peace and security, maintain just and honourable relations between nations, respect international law and settle disputes by arbitration (b). The Preamble (a) speaks of justice, liberty, equality and fraternity but not international peace. The Fundamental Duties (c) in Article 51A deal with citizens' duties, and the Ninth Schedule (d) shields certain laws from judicial review.
Notice how Article 51 reflects Nehru's foreign policy of non-alignment and peaceful coexistence, and the Panchsheel principles of 1954.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
‘Economic Justice’ as one of the objectives of the Indian Constitution has been provided in
Answer (b) & explanation
The Preamble and the Directive Principles is correct (b). The Preamble promises 'Justice, social, economic and political' to all citizens. The Directive Principles turn economic justice into policy goals, especially Article 38 (a social order with justice and reduced inequality) and Article 39 (adequate livelihood, fair distribution of resources, equal pay for equal work). (a) and (c) are wrong: Fundamental Rights mainly secure political and civil justice, such as equality before law and freedom of speech, not economic justice as such.
Notice the source: the ideal of social, economic and political justice was taken from the Russian Revolution (1917). The 42nd Amendment added 'socialist' to the Preamble. In Kesavananda Bharati (1973) the Preamble was held part of the Constitution. Trap: rights and directives are often grouped, but economic justice lives in the DPSP.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
According to the Constitution of India, which of the following are fundamental for the governance of the country?
Answer (c) & explanation
Directive Principles of State Policy is correct (c). Article 37 says the Directive Principles are not enforceable by any court, but they are 'nevertheless fundamental in the governance of the country', and the State must apply them in making laws. (a) is wrong: Fundamental Rights are enforceable but are not described in these words. (b) and (d) are wrong: Fundamental Duties (Article 51A) apply to citizens and are not called fundamental for governance.
Notice the balance: in Minerva Mills (1980), the Supreme Court held that harmony between Fundamental Rights and DPSPs is part of the basic structure. DPSPs were borrowed from the Irish Constitution, and B.R. Ambedkar called them 'novel features'. Trap: the word 'fundamental' appears in all options, but the phrase belongs to Article 37.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Consider the following provisions under the Directive Principles of State Policy as enshrined in the Constitution of India :
- 1. Securing for citizens of India a uniform civil code
- 2. Organizing village Panchayats
- 3. Promoting cottage industries in rural areas
- 4. Securing for all the workers reasonable leisure and cultural opportunities
Which of the above are the Gandhian Principles that are reflected in the Directive Principles of State Policy?
Answer (b) & explanation
Statements 2 and 3 are correct (b). The Gandhian principles in the Directive Principles include organising village panchayats (Article 40) and promoting cottage industries in rural areas (Article 43), along with prohibition of intoxicants (47), cow protection (48) and the welfare of weaker sections (46). Statement 1 is wrong: the uniform civil code (Article 44) is a liberal-intellectual principle. Statement 4 is wrong: securing workers a living wage, leisure and cultural opportunities (Article 43) is usually counted as a socialist principle. So (a), (c) and (d) fail.
Notice the twist: Article 43 holds both a socialist part (living wage) and a Gandhian part (cottage industries). Uttarakhand enacted the first state UCC in 2024. Trap: one Article can carry two kinds of principle.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Which of the following is/are among the Fundamental Duties of citizens laid down in the Indian Constitution?
- 1. To preserve the rich heritage of our composite culture
- 2. To protect the weaker sections from social injustice
- 3. To develop the scientific temper and spirit of inquiry
- 4. To strive towards excellence in all spheres of individual and collective activity
Select the correct answer using the codes given below :
Answer (c) & explanation
Items 1, 3 and 4 are correct (c). Article 51A includes valuing and preserving the rich heritage of our composite culture (1), developing scientific temper, humanism and the spirit of inquiry (3), and striving towards excellence in all spheres of individual and collective activity (4). Item 2 is wrong: protecting the weaker sections from social injustice and exploitation is a Directive Principle under Article 46, addressed to the State, not a citizen's duty. So (a), (b) and (d) fail.
Notice the list: there are 11 Fundamental Duties; ten came with the 42nd Amendment (1976) and the eleventh, on parents educating children aged 6 to 14, with the 86th Amendment (2002). Constitution Day (26 November) is used to promote them. Trap: item 2 reads like a duty but is a state directive.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
In India, if a religious sect/community is given the status of a national minority, what special advantages it is entitled to ?
- 1. It can establish and administer exclusive educational institutions.
- 2. The President of India automatically nominates a representative of the community to Lok Sabha.
- 3. It can derive benefits from the Prime Minister’s 15-Point Programme.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
Answer (c) & explanation
Statements 1 and 3 are correct (c). Article 30 lets religious and linguistic minorities establish and administer their own educational institutions (1). Notified minorities also benefit from the Prime Minister's New 15-Point Programme (2006) for scholarships, credit and jobs (3). Statement 2 is wrong: the President never nominates a member of a religious minority to the Lok Sabha. The only nomination was for Anglo-Indians (Article 331), and it ended in January 2020 under the 104th Amendment. So (a), (b) and (d) fail.
Notice the list: six communities are notified under the NCM Act, 1992: Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Parsis and Jains (added 2014). Trap: 'automatically nominates' sounds plausible but has no basis.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Under the Constitution of India, which one of the following is *not* a fundamental duty ?
Answer (a) & explanation
To vote in public elections is correct (a), as it is not a fundamental duty. The Fundamental Duties in Article 51A (Part IVA, added by the 42nd Amendment, 1976, on the Swaran Singh Committee's advice) include abiding by the Constitution and respecting its ideals (d), developing scientific temper (b) and safeguarding public property (c). Voting is a constitutional and statutory right under Article 326 and the RP Act, not a listed duty. So (b), (c) and (d) are duties.
Notice the count: there are 11 duties; the 11th, parents providing education to children aged 6 to 14, came by the 86th Amendment (2002). The duties are not enforceable by courts. Trap: voting feels like a civic duty, but it is not in 51A.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.