The Indian Constitution Test - 6

Fundamental Rights find a place in Part 3 of the Constitution of India. These rights give people protection from oppressive governments and place a duty on the government to uphold them. If our rights are violated by the government, we can go to the court for protection of these rights. There are 6 fundamental rights which are:

1. Right to Equality
2. Right to Freedom
3. Right against Exploitation 
4. Right to Freedom of Religion 
5. Cultural and Educational Rights 
6. Right to Constitutional Remedies

Universal suffrage implies that every adult man or woman, rich or poor, literate or illiterate has the right to vote. Universal means everyone, adult means 18 and above and suffrage means the right to vote. When a country grants universal adult suffrage to all its citizens without any discrimination of caste, religion, race, sex, etc. the country has granted political equality to all its citizens. 

Universal Adult Franchise is the right to vote of all adults, irrespective of caste, creed sex etc. Through this, the leaders of the country are elected by people itself. It makes the government more responsive. 

Following arguments are given against Universal Adult Franchise:

(i) Illiterate persons are not able to exercise their right to vote properly, so this right should be given only to the educated citizens.

(ii) Poor people are liable to sell their votes. So this right should not be given to them.

(iii) The system is very expensive. Large-scale arrangements have to be made for the election.

The idea of Constituent Assembly of India was first put forward by Manvendra Nath Roy in 1934. In 1935, it became the official demand of INC. After partition, Dr. Rajendra Prasad became the chairman of Constituent Assembly of Independent India and Professor Harendra Coomar Mookerjee was Vice President of the Constituent Assembly.

The Sixty-first Amendment of the Constitution of India in 1989, lowered the voting age of elections to the Lok Sabha and to the Legislative Assemblies of States from 21 years to 18 years. This was done by amending Article 326 of the Constitution, which concerns to elections to the Lok Sabha and the Assemblies.

Political equality is that the equal right should be given to vote and also to contest in election irrespective of caste, creed, religion, economic status. This is very important in achieving a democratic government.

The Assembly met for the first time in New Delhi on 9 December 1946, and its last session was held on 24 January 1950. During this period which was of two years, eleven months and eighteen days in which the Assembly held eleven sessions, sitting for a total of 166 days.

The first meeting of the Constituent Assembly of India took place in Constitutional Hall, New Delhi, on 9th December 1946. Dr Sachchidananda Sinha was the first president of the Constituent Assembly. On December 11, 1946, Rajendra Prasad was elected as permanent chairman of the Constituent Assembly.