Under the Constitution of India, the right to form associations and unions is a right

Introduction / Context:
The right to form associations and unions is an important democratic right that enables people to organise themselves for political, social, economic, or cultural purposes. In the Indian Constitution, it is part of a cluster of freedoms listed under Article 19. However, Article 19 rights are guaranteed only to citizens of India and not to all persons. This question tests whether candidates can correctly locate this right within the scheme of fundamental rights and recognise that it is a citizens only freedom.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The question is specifically about the right to form associations and unions.
• The options describe it as a right guaranteed to everybody, a freedom guaranteed only to citizens, a right to equality, or a right to life and personal liberty.
• We assume familiarity with Article 19 and the classification of fundamental rights in Part III.
• We also assume knowledge that Article 19 is citizen specific.

Concept / Approach:
Article 19 of the Constitution lists several freedoms, including freedom of speech and expression, peaceful assembly, association and union, movement, residence, and profession. The opening words of Article 19 state that all citizens shall have the right to these freedoms, which makes clear that these rights are reserved for citizens of India. The right to equality before the law arises under Article 14 and applies to all persons. The right to life and personal liberty is under Article 21 and also applies to all persons. Therefore, the right to form associations and unions is best described as a freedom under Article 19 available only to citizens.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify that the right to form associations and unions is explicitly mentioned in Article 19 as one of the freedoms. Step 2: Recall the wording of Article 19, which begins with all citizens shall have the right. Step 3: Observe that this language clearly restricts the rights under Article 19 to citizens of India. Step 4: Compare this with Article 14, which uses the term persons, and Article 21, which also extends to all persons, including foreigners. Step 5: Recognise that the right to form associations and unions is a right to freedom, not a right to equality or life. Step 6: Conclude that the correct description is that it is a right to freedom guaranteed only to citizens. Step 7: Choose the option that states it is to freedom guaranteed only to citizens of India.

Verification / Alternative check:
To verify, you can recall the classification used in many polity textbooks. They usually group fundamental rights into categories such as right to equality, right to freedom, right against exploitation, right to freedom of religion, cultural and educational rights, and right to constitutional remedies. Under right to freedom, Article 19 is primarily for citizens. Under right to equality and right to life, many provisions apply to all persons. Since the right to form associations is clearly presented under Article 19 in these groupings, that confirms that it is a citizens only freedom.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
The option that says the right is guaranteed to everybody is incorrect because Article 19 explicitly restricts its scope to citizens. The option that describes the right as one to equality before law confuses it with Article 14, which is a separate right. The option that says it is a right to life and personal liberty confuses it with Article 21. Neither Article 14 nor Article 21 is the correct home for the right to form associations and unions.

Common Pitfalls:
Many students know that some rights are available only to citizens but forget exactly which ones. Under exam pressure, they may quickly mark that the right is guaranteed to everybody, especially because forming associations seems like a basic human freedom. Another pitfall is to confuse the headings of different groups of rights. To avoid such mistakes, it helps to make a simple chart that lists which rights are citizen specific and which are universal, and to revise this chart multiple times.

Final Answer:
Under the Constitution of India, the right to form associations and unions is a right to freedom that is guaranteed only to citizens of India under Article 19.