Fundamental Duties : UPSC Planner Polity

The Fundamental Duties were incorporated in Part IV-A of the Constitution. Today, there are 11 Fundamental Duties described under Article 51-A, of which 10 was introduced by the 42nd Amendment and the 11th was added by the 86th Amendment in 2002.
They are inspired by the constitution of erstwhile USSR(Union of Soviet Socialist Republics).
In 1976, congress party set up the Sardar Swaran Singh Committee to make recommendations about fundamental duties. The committee recommended separate chapter on fundamental duties in the constitution. Congress party accepted those recommendations.

To abide by the Constitution and respect its ideals and institutions, the National Flag and the National Anthem;
To cherish and follow the noble ideals that inspired the national struggle for freedom;
To uphold and protect the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India;
To defend the country and render national service when called upon to do so;
To promote harmony and the spirit of common brotherhood amongst all the people of India transcending religious, linguistic and regional or sectional diversities and to renounce practices derogatory to the dignity of women;
To value and preserve the rich heritage of the country’s composite culture;
To protect and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers and wildlife and to have compassion for living creatures;
To develop scientific temper, humanism and the spirit of inquiry and reform;
To safeguard public property and to abjure violence;
To strive towards excellence in all spheres of individual and collective activity so that the nation constantly rises to higher levels of endeavour and achievement; and
To provide opportunities for education to his child or ward between the age of six and fourteen years (added by the 86th Constitutional Amendment Act, 2002).

Like the Directive Principles, the duties are also non-justiciable in nature.
Fundamental duties are applicable only to citizens and not to the aliens.

Fundamental Duties