Fundamental Rights and Duties — Amendments

Amendment	Year	Description	Impact
1st Amendment	1951	Added Articles 15(4) and 19(6), enabling special provisions for socially and educationally backward classes and allowing reasonable restrictions on freedom of speech and expression for public order	Established the framework for affirmative action and balanced individual freedom with social order, setting precedent for future amendments to fundamental rights
24th Amendment	1971	Affirmed Parliament's power to amend any part of the Constitution including Fundamental Rights and made it binding on President to give assent to constitutional amendment bills	Attempted to establish parliamentary supremacy over judicial review, leading to the constitutional crisis resolved in Kesavananda Bharati case
25th Amendment	1971	Curtailed the right to property by adding Article 31C, which provided that laws giving effect to directive principles in Articles 39(b) and (c) cannot be challenged on grounds of violating Articles 14, 19, and 31	Prioritized social and economic justice over individual property rights, reflecting the socialist orientation of the Constitution
42nd Amendment	1976	Added Article 51A prescribing ten Fundamental Duties for citizens and made several changes to fundamental rights including restrictions on judicial review	Introduced the concept of constitutional duties alongside rights, reflecting the balance between individual liberty and social responsibility
44th Amendment	1978	Restored several fundamental rights curtailed during Emergency, ensured Articles 20 and 21 cannot be suspended during emergency, and removed right to property from fundamental rights	Strengthened protection of life and liberty during emergency and reduced the scope of property rights while maintaining their legal character
86th Amendment	2002	Made education a fundamental right under Article 21A for children aged 6-14 years and added the eleventh fundamental duty in Article 51A regarding education of children	Recognized education as a human right and created corresponding parental duty, leading to the Right to Education Act 2009
103rd Amendment	2019	Added Article 15(6) and 16(6) to provide 10% reservation for economically weaker sections in educational institutions and public employment	Extended affirmative action beyond caste-based criteria to economic status, expanding the scope of equality and social justice

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