How many Fundamental Duties of citizens are explicitly mentioned in the Constitution of India after the 42nd and 86th Constitutional Amendment Acts?

Introduction / Context:
Fundamental Duties were added to the Constitution of India to remind citizens that rights are accompanied by responsibilities towards the nation and society. Originally introduced by the 42nd Constitutional Amendment, the list was later expanded by the 86th Amendment to include one more duty relating to children's education. Knowing the exact number of Fundamental Duties is a favourite question in Indian polity exams and is part of basic static GK.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• Fundamental Duties are mentioned in Article 51A of the Constitution of India.
• The 42nd Amendment initially added them, and the 86th Amendment later inserted one more duty.
• The options are 5, 6, 11 and 12 duties.
• We assume the current position after both amendments have taken effect.

Concept / Approach:
The 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1976, introduced a list of 10 Fundamental Duties in Article 51A. Later, the 86th Constitutional Amendment Act, 2002, added an additional duty requiring parents or guardians to provide opportunities for education to children between six and fourteen years of age. This brought the total number of Fundamental Duties to 11. No subsequent Amendment has increased or decreased this number. Therefore, in today's Constitution, there are 11 Fundamental Duties specified in Article 51A, making 11 the correct option.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that Fundamental Duties were not part of the original Constitution and were added later by the 42nd Amendment.Step 2: Understand that the 42nd Amendment inserted 10 duties into Article 51A, covering respect for national symbols, protection of the environment, promotion of scientific temper and more.Step 3: Remember that the 86th Amendment, which made education a Fundamental Right for children, also added a new duty for parents and guardians regarding their children's education.Step 4: Add the new duty to the original 10, bringing the total to 11 Fundamental Duties.Step 5: Match this total with the options and select 11 as the correct answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
Any standard Indian polity book lists the Fundamental Duties as 11 in number, all contained in Article 51A, labelled clauses (a) to (k). These sources also explain that clauses (a) to (j) came from the 42nd Amendment, and clause (k) was inserted by the 86th Amendment. No authoritative text describes them as 5, 6 or 12 in number for the present Constitution. Thus, 11 is firmly established as the correct total for examination purposes.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• 5: This number is far too low and does not correspond to any constitutional stage of the Fundamental Duties.
• 6: This also does not match the historical or current count of Fundamental Duties.
• 12: The Constitution contains 11 duties, not 12; no extra duty has been inserted beyond the one added by the 86th Amendment.

Common Pitfalls:
Some candidates remember that there were originally 10 duties and mistakenly think that the total is still 10, forgetting to account for the 86th Amendment's addition. Others may mix up this number with the number of Fundamental Rights or Directive Principles. To avoid confusion, associate the phrase "10 plus 1" with Fundamental Duties: 10 inserted by the 42nd Amendment and one more by the 86th, giving a clear and memorable total of 11 duties.

Final Answer:
After the 42nd and 86th Amendments, the Constitution of India specifies 11 Fundamental Duties of citizens.