2020
Local Self Governance &
Social Accountability
REVIEWS OF ARTICLES
MUHAMMAD DHANISH
T2019BASW010
Fundamental Rights and Fundamental Duties:
Rights and duties play an important part in the development of a nation or the growth of an
organization. Rights on the one hand give an individual an opportunity to be a part of
development process while duties on the other hand make an individual obliged to play a part
in the development. There are certain fundamental rights to make sure all gets the chance to
the part of our society. These Fundamental Rights are considered as basic human rights of all
citizens, irrespective of their gender, caste, religion or creed etc. There are six fundamental
rights in India. They are Right to Equality, Right to Freedom, Right against Exploitation,
Right to Freedom of religion, Cultural and Educational Rights, and Right to Constitutional
Remedies.
1. Right to Equality
Right to Equality ensures equal rights for all the citizens. The Right to Equality prohibits
inequality on the basis of caste, religion, place of birth, race, or gender.
2. Right to Freedom
Right to freedom provides us freedom of speech, freedom of expression, freedom of
assembly without arms, freedom of movement throughout the territory of our country,
freedom of association, freedom to practice any profession, freedom to reside in any part of
the country.
3. Right against Exploitation
Right against Exploitation stops human trafficking, child labour, forced labour and also
prohibits any act of compelling a person to work without wages.
4. Right to Freedom of Religion
Right to Freedom of Religion guarantees religious freedom the States should treat all
religions equally and impartially and that no state has an official religion. All people have the
freedom of conscience and the right to preach, practice and propagate any religion of their
choice.
5. Cultural and Educational Rights
Cultural and Educational Rights protects the rights of cultural, religious and linguistic
minorities. Educational rights ensure education for everyone irrespective of their caste,
gender, religion, etc.
6. Right to Constitutional Remedies
Right to Constitutional Remedies ensures citizens to go to the supreme court of India to ask
for enforcement or protection against violation of their fundamental rights. The Supreme
Court has the jurisdiction to enforce the Fundamental Rights even against private bodies, and
in case of any violation, award compensation as well to the affected individual.
The aforementioned are some of the key takeaways from the broad Article which digs deeper
into the philosophy, circumstances and the aim behind the Fundamental Rights and
Fundamental Duties that are mentioned in our Constitution.
Panchayati Raj- G Mathew:
The note on Panchayati Raj by G Mathew is a comprehensive and wide perspective
information regarding different aspects of Panchayati Raj, including its history, evolution,
roles and impact. The Panchayati Raj’s is an ample example of Local Self Governance
through which maximum utilisation and effectiveness of resources as well as manpower is
achieved through the process of Decentralisation. The decentralised type of administrative
system in India date back to an era that’s very old and which can be notes as one which
assimilates into the Indian culture. These were mainly managed and rules through kinships
or, in the Indian context, Caste. It too constituted a headman who takes the decision and
several other advisers or council which helps in the decision-making process. The preTerritorial period of Panchayati system was even described as which surpassed its
administrative efficiency more than the modern Panchayati Raj system. Adding to this is the
detailed notes of administrative, legal, community, organisational activities of Panchayati Raj
carried during different periods of Medieval history.
Panchayati Raj have effectively been a force towards bringing a decentralised institution that,
with the reservation of woman and other socially backward communities, have been a torch
bearer towards social justice and equity. Thus, the casteist structure of these institutions have
been at least attempted to be changed. Moreover, with community organisation and other root
level programs, the proper localised implementation of the policies has been made and
reviewed. These institutions play a major role in assisting the state and central machinery to
manage various local issues while at the same time have ensured that the concerns of people
on the bottom of the society reaches the centralised power structure. Connecting to the
present scenario, Panchayati Raj and other local government institutions have been the key
tool in combating the Covid pandemic. They were able to provide medical and social
assistance to those affected while providing the state and its machinery information and
data’s regarding the local developments.
Thus overall, the article emphasizes how the Panchayati Raj institutions made a pivotal
contribution towards reaching out to the roots of population ensuring social, educational and
economic justice. It defines the well-built ideology that have played the major part to thrust
these institutions. While many discrepancies exist within the system, the pioneering mode of
governance will be a statutory institution to the generations coming ahead.
Directive Principles of State Policy:
Directive Principles of State Policy provide essential guide-lines both for the state as well as
the citizens for establishing economic democracy in India. The Constitution makers in India
did not force on the people any particular economic system but they only tried to suggest a
system which could be most suited to Indian conditions. With the passing of Forty-Second
Constitution Amendment Act, ii has been provided that India shall be a socialist democracy
but socialism is not in the traditional sense but in the sense, which suits Indian conditions.
The Sapru Committee had recommended a division of fundamental rights into two classes —
judiciable and nonjudiciable.The Constitution Act of India, 1935, itself provided for
‘Instruments of Instructions’ which were a fruitful idea. Ambedkar said. The above statement
of Dr. Ambedkar makes it crystal clear that these principles are not binding upon the
Government. The Government is to strive. If it does not fulfil these principles despite its
striving, nobody can challenge it in the court or law. Liberal Intellectualistic, this category
includes those things on which the liberal intellectuals have been insisting for the last many
years) The State shall endeavour to secure for the citizens a uniform civil code throughout the
territory of India. Though Basu’s fears are genuine, yet we must not efface from our mind a
naked reality that the President’s or Governor’s powers to veto a Bill passed by the
Legislature is only limited. In the words of Dr. Ambedkar“. The Directive Principles cannot
be pressed into service either by the President or the State Governor for the purposes of
vetoing a law passed by the legislature”. in a parliamentary form of government, the
constitutional rulers cannot be assertive. If they are, they cannot be tolerated.