Young India speaks up on Citizens' Rights

The fundamental rights every citizen of India enjoys, is one of the most important features of the Indian Constitution. While most of these are relevant, there is a sentiment that some of these rights are still frozen in the time when they were enunciated. We talk to students to find what amendments and changes they might like to see brought in. 

Right to Privacy important
In a day and age where everyone is on social media and wants to upload pictures and share their personal thoughts, I feel that Right to Privacy should now be a part of Right to Freedom, under the Article 21, which gives right to personal liberty to every citizen of India.

Gowd Kiran Kumar

I think that there is a breach in our privacy at various levels today. With so many applications putting our personal lives out there in the public space, there are chances that our details can be used, sometimes even abused, without our knowledge.
— Gowd Kiran Kumar, Research Scholar, Political Science Department, University of Hyderabad

Uniform Civil Code Needed
The first fundamental right that the constitution postulates is the Right to Equality, which gives every citizen of India equality before law and prohibition of discrimination on grounds of race, religion, gender, and caste or birth place.

Krishna Kumar Choubay

However, with so many reservations for various castes, religions and women in India, one wonders if we really are equal! I agree that at the time we got independence from the British, there were sects that needed extra support to become equal in the society. But even decades after establishing our own constitution, reservations still prevail.

— Krishna Kumar Choubay, Second year, MA, Department of Communication
University of Hyderabad

Make Article 24 in-sync with 21A
I think Article 24, which deals with the Right against Exploitation stating that no child below age 14 should work. The Article (24) also says that employment of children in hazardous conditions should be prohibited. But we find so many children working in non-hazardous conditions, like, for instance as domestic help.

Myakala Sushma

This needs to be changed and be made in sync with Article 21A, under Right to Freedom, which gives education to all children between 6 and 14 years of age in a manner that the State may, by law, determine.

— Myakala Sushma, Second year, Mass Communication and Journalism,
St Francis College for Women

The Constitution is Progressive
The fundamental rights (FR) in the Indian constitution, which draws inspiration from the constitution of US, are quite expansive. That being said, statutes for a country cannot be rigid and stagnant. The Constitution has to be a living document, and to that extent the makers have done a remarkable job.

Ankit Priya

Over the years, FRs like Right to Equality, Right to Freedom of Speech and Expression, has garnered more judicial attention. The judiciary has time and again included new implicit rights and defined each aspect of the rights with more progressive interpretation viz Right to Privacy (under Article 19, KS Putta-swamy case).

— Ankit Priya, Civil engineer