After the Forty fourth Amendment, how many Fundamental Rights are currently mentioned and protected in Part III of the Constitution of India?

Introduction / Context:
Fundamental Rights form one of the core features of the Constitution of India and are contained in Part III. Originally, there were more categories of Fundamental Rights, but subsequent constitutional amendments, especially the Forty fourth Amendment, made important changes. This question asks you to recall how many Fundamental Rights are currently recognised after those changes. This is a basic but essential fact for any student of Indian polity.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The focus is on the number of Fundamental Rights after the Forty fourth Amendment.
• The options provide four possible numbers: five, six, seven and eight.
• We assume familiarity with the major groups of rights in Part III.
• We also assume awareness that the Right to Property was removed from the list of Fundamental Rights.

Concept / Approach:
Originally, the Constitution of India recognised seven categories of Fundamental Rights. However, the Forty fourth Constitutional Amendment Act removed the Right to Property from the list of Fundamental Rights and placed it instead as a legal right under Article 300A. As a result, the total number of Fundamental Rights categories in Part III reduced from seven to six. The remaining rights include the Right to Equality, Right to Freedom, Right against Exploitation, Right to Freedom of Religion, Cultural and Educational Rights, and the Right to Constitutional Remedies. Therefore, the correct approach is to remember this reduction and choose six as the answer.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that initially there were seven Fundamental Rights, including the Right to Property. Step 2: The Forty fourth Amendment removed the Right to Property from Part III and made it a constitutional legal right under Article 300A. Step 3: After this change, only six categories of Fundamental Rights remained in Part III. Step 4: List these six categories mentally: Right to Equality, Right to Freedom, Right against Exploitation, Right to Freedom of Religion, Cultural and Educational Rights, and Right to Constitutional Remedies. Step 5: Compare this understanding with the options given. Step 6: Option B, six fundamental rights, fits the current number after the amendment. Step 7: Therefore, the correct answer is six Fundamental Rights.

Verification / Alternative check:
To verify, refer mentally to standard tables in polity textbooks that summarise the Fundamental Rights. They usually show six headings or chapters for Part III, each corresponding to a group of Articles. These tables also explain that the Right to Property was once a Fundamental Right under Article 31 but was removed by the Forty fourth Amendment and is now a constitutional legal right, not a Fundamental Right. This repeated presentation of six categories in modern study material confirms that the number is six, not seven or any other value.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option A: Five Fundamental Rights is too low and does not match the current structure of Part III.

Option C: Seven Fundamental Rights reflects the original situation before the Forty fourth Amendment, not the current position.

Option D: Eight Fundamental Rights has never been the correct number in the history of the Indian Constitution.

Common Pitfalls:
The most common pitfall is to remember older figures or to mix up the categories of rights because some sources still discuss the historical Right to Property as if it were a Fundamental Right. Another mistake is to count individual articles instead of groups of rights, leading to confusion. To avoid these issues, focus on the broad categories recognised in current constitutional law and remember clearly that the Right to Property is now a legal right, not a Fundamental Right. This will help you confidently answer questions that ask for the present number of Fundamental Rights as six.

Final Answer:
Six fundamental rights.