Which one of the following rights is not explicitly guaranteed as a Fundamental Right under the Constitution of India?

Difficulty: Medium

Correct Answer: Right to free education for all persons of all ages

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
The Constitution of India contains a carefully structured list of Fundamental Rights in Part III. These rights protect various aspects of human dignity, such as equality, freedom, protection against exploitation, freedom of religion, cultural and educational rights and the right to constitutional remedies. At the same time, the Constitution, along with later amendments, also recognises certain specific rights to education. This question asks you to distinguish between rights that are explicitly guaranteed as Fundamental Rights and one that is not, in the broad form mentioned.


Given Data / Assumptions:
- Right to Equality is mentioned as an option.- Right to freedom of religion is mentioned.- Right to constitutional remedies is mentioned.- Right to free education for all persons of all ages is mentioned in a very broad form.


Concept / Approach:
Right to Equality (Articles 14 to 18), right to freedom of religion (Articles 25 to 28) and right to constitutional remedies (Article 32) are clearly and explicitly listed as Fundamental Rights in the Constitution. The right to education is recognised as a Fundamental Right under Article 21A, but it is limited to children between the ages of 6 and 14 years and is not framed as a right to free education for all persons of all ages. Therefore, the broad statement in option D does not match any explicit Fundamental Right and is the correct choice for this question.


Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Confirm that Right to Equality is a Fundamental Right in Part III, covering equality before law, non discrimination, equality of opportunity and abolition of untouchability and titles.Step 2: Confirm that Right to freedom of religion is also explicitly guaranteed as a Fundamental Right, allowing freedom of conscience and free profession, practice and propagation of religion, subject to reasonable restrictions.Step 3: Recall that the Right to constitutional remedies, given in Article 32, allows an individual to move the Supreme Court for enforcement of Fundamental Rights and is itself a Fundamental Right.Step 4: Examine option D carefully. It speaks of a right to free education for all persons of all ages. In reality, the Constitution through Article 21A guarantees free and compulsory education only for children between 6 and 14 years of age.Step 5: There is no Fundamental Right guaranteeing free education for every person regardless of age, which makes option D the right answer.


Verification / Alternative check:
You can verify by recalling the exact wording of Article 21A and also by noting that expansion of free education to all age groups would involve enormous financial commitments and is therefore not framed as a Fundamental Right. Instead, broader educational goals for different age groups appear in Directive Principles rather than as enforceable Fundamental Rights.


Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option A is wrong as the answer because Right to Equality is one of the central Fundamental Rights listed in Articles 14 to 18.Option B is wrong because Right to freedom of religion is clearly part of Part III of the Constitution.Option C is wrong because Right to constitutional remedies is itself a Fundamental Right, often called the heart and soul of the Constitution by Dr B R Ambedkar.


Common Pitfalls:
Many learners know that education is important and that the Constitution talks about free education, but they may not remember the precise age group to which Article 21A applies. As a result, they may incorrectly treat a very broad statement about free education for all ages as a Fundamental Right. To avoid this, always pay attention to the exact scope and beneficiary group mentioned in the constitutional provisions and in the exam options.


Final Answer:
Correct answer: Right to free education for all persons of all ages

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