Fundamental Rights is a
charter of rights contained in the
Constitution of India. It guarantees
civil liberties such that all Indians can lead their lives in peace and harmony as
citizens of India. These include individual rights common to most
liberal democracies, such as
equality before law,
freedom of speech and
expression, and
peaceful assembly,
freedom to practice religion, and the right to constitutional remedies for the protection of civil rights by means of
writs such as
habeas corpus. Violation of these rights result in punishments as prescribed in the
Indian Penal Code or other special laws, subject to discretion of the
judiciary. The Fundamental Rights are defined as basic
human freedoms that every Indian citizen has the right to enjoy for a proper and harmonious development of personality. These rights universally apply to all citizens, irrespective of
race, place of birth, religion,
caste or
gender. Aliens (persons who are not citizens) are also considered in matters like equality before law. They are enforceable by the
courts, subject to certain restrictions. The Rights have their origins in many sources, including
England's Bill of Rights, the
United States Bill of Rights and
France's Declaration of the Rights of Man.