In Indian polity, the Fundamental Duties of citizens were incorporated into the Constitution of India by which Constitutional Amendment Act?

Introduction / Context:
Fundamental Duties are an important part of the Indian Constitution and define the moral obligations of citizens toward the nation and society. They were not present in the original Constitution adopted in 1950. Instead, they were added later by a specific Constitutional Amendment. The question checks your knowledge of which Amendment Act introduced these duties, a standard fact in Indian polity and general knowledge examinations, especially for civil services and competitive tests.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The subject is Fundamental Duties in the Constitution of India.
• The options list the Forty-fourth, Forty-second, Twenty-sixth, and Twenty-fifth Amendment Acts.
• We assume the standard chronology of Constitutional Amendments as recognised in Indian polity.
• The task is to identify the specific Amendment Act that inserted Fundamental Duties.

Concept / Approach:
Fundamental Duties were added to the Constitution of India in Part IV A on the recommendations of the Swaran Singh Committee. This change took place during the period of internal Emergency in the mid 1970s. The relevant amendment is the Forty-second Constitutional Amendment Act of 1976, often called the Mini Constitution because it made many important changes. This amendment inserted Article 51A, which initially listed ten Fundamental Duties for citizens, later increased to eleven. The other amendments in the options dealt with different issues, such as curbing the right to property or modifying emergency provisions.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that Fundamental Duties were introduced in the mid 1970s, not at the time of the original Constitution.Step 2: Remember that the Swaran Singh Committee recommended including these duties.Step 3: Associate these changes with the Forty-second Constitutional Amendment Act of 1976.Step 4: Note that Article 51A in Part IV A was inserted by this Amendment, listing Fundamental Duties.Step 5: Conclude that the Forty-second Amendment Act is the correct answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
You can cross check by remembering that the Forty-fourth Amendment Act of 1978 mainly dealt with restoring some democratic features after the Emergency, altering provisions related to fundamental rights and emergency powers, but it did not introduce Fundamental Duties. The Twenty-sixth Amendment Act of 1971 abolished privy purses of former rulers, and the Twenty-fifth Amendment Act of 1971 curtailed the right to property. None of these amendments are linked to Fundamental Duties. Only the Forty-second Amendment Act is consistently mentioned in standard polity textbooks as the amendment that introduced Fundamental Duties, which confirms the answer.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
The Forty-fourth Amendment Act reversed some provisions of the Forty-second Amendment and modified emergency rules, but it did not create Fundamental Duties, so option A is incorrect. The Twenty-sixth Amendment Act abolished privy purses and privileges of former princes, which is unrelated to duties of citizens, making option C wrong. The Twenty-fifth Amendment Act focused on property rights and nationalisation, not on moral duties, so option D is also incorrect. Only option B, the Forty-second Amendment Act, is associated with the insertion of Article 51A and Fundamental Duties.

Common Pitfalls:
Candidates sometimes confuse the Forty-second and Forty-fourth Amendments because both are very important and close in time. Another pitfall is remembering that the Forty-fourth Amendment undid some changes brought by the Forty-second and mistakenly assuming it also brought the duties. To avoid this, link Fundamental Duties specifically with Article 51A and the Forty-second Amendment Act of 1976, and remember the Forty-fourth Amendment as a corrective measure that focused on rights and emergency provisions rather than duties.

Final Answer:
Forty-second Amendment Act