Righs

Rights
Ans: Rights are those conditions of social life maintained by the State, which are
essential for the all-round development of human life.
Q.1 On what grounds can rights be claimed?
Ans:1.Rights are those conditions of social life maintained by the State, which are
essential for the all-round development of human life.
2. Rights are primarily those claims that I along with others regard to be necessary for
leading a life of respect and dignity.
3. In fact, one of the grounds on which rights have been claimed is that they
represent conditions that we collectively see as a source of self-respect and dignity.
4. Another ground on which rights have been claimed is that they are necessary for
our well-being. They help individuals to develop their talents and skills.
Q.2 Where do rights come from?
Ans: In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, political theorists argued that rights
are given to us by nature or God.
Q.3 What are natural rights?
Ans: The rights of men were derived from natural law. This meant that rights were not
conferred by a ruler or a society, rather we are born with them. As such these rights are
inalienable and no one can take these away from us. They identified three natural rights
of man: the right to life, liberty and property. All other rights were said to be derived
from these basic rights. The idea that we are born with certain rights, is a very powerful
notion because it implies that no state or organisation should take away what has been
given by the law of nature. This conception of natural rights has been used widely to
oppose the exercise of arbitrary power by states and governments and to safeguard
individual freedom.
Q.4 What are human rights?
Ans:1.The assumption behind human rights is that all persons are entitled to certain
things simply because they are human beings.
2. As a human being each person is unique and equally valuable. This means that all
persons are equal and no one is born to serve others.
3. Each of us possesses an intrinsic value, hence we must have equal opportunities to
be free and realise our full potential.
Q.5 What is the list of human rights?
Ans: The list of human rights which people have claimed has expanded over the years
as societies face new threats and challenges. For instance, we are very conscious today
of the need to protect the natural environment and this has generated demands for
rights to clean air, water, sustainable development, and the like.
Q.6 Why is so much importance placed on the legal recognition of rights?
Ans:1.A Bill of Rights is enshrined in the constitutions of many countries. Constitutions
represent the highest law of the land and so constitutional recognition of certain rights
gives them a primary importance. In our country we call them Fundamental Rights.
2.The legal endorsement certainly gives our rights a special status in society but it is not
the basis on which rights are claimed. Rights have steadily been expanded and
reinterpreted to include previously excluded groups and to reflect our contemporary
understanding of what it means to lead a life of dignity and respect.
3. That is, through these rights people make demands upon the state. When I assert my
right to education, I call upon the state to make provisions for my basic education. It is
the state that must initiate the necessary steps to ensure that my right to education is
fulfilled.
4. Thus, rights place an obligation upon the state to act in certain kinds of ways. Each
right indicates what the state must do as well as what it must not do.
5. Rights not only indicate what the state must do, they also suggest what the state
must refrain from doing. My right to liberty as a person, for instance, suggests that
the state cannot simply arrest me at its own will.
6. Our rights ensure that the authority of the state is exercised without violating the
sanctity of individual life and liberty.
Q.7 What are the different kinds of rights?
Ans:1.Political Rights: Political rights give to the citizens the right to equality before law
and the right to participate in the political process. They include such rights as the right
to vote and elect representatives, the right to contest elections, the right to form
political parties or join them.
2. Civil Rights: The right to a free and fair trial, the right to express one’s views
freely, the right to protest and express dissent.
3. Collectively, civil liberties and political rights form the basis of a democratic system
of government. Political rights contribute to it by making the government accountable
to the people, by giving greater importance to the concerns of the individual over that
of the rulers and by ensuring that all persons have an opportunity to influence the
decisions of the government.
Q.8 ‘Political rights, without economic rights are meaningless.’ Explain.
1. Our rights of political participation can only be exercised fully when our basic needs, of
food, shelter, clothing, health, are met.
2. For a person living on the pavements and struggling to meet these basic needs,
political rights by themselves have little value.
3. They require certain facilities like an adequate wage to meet their basic needs and
reasonable conditions of work.
Q.9 What is the relationship between rights and duties?
Ans:1.Firstly, they compel us to think not just of our own personal needs
and interests but to defend some things as being good for all of us. For
example: Protecting the ozone layer, minimising air and water pollution.
They represent the ‘common-good’ that we must act to protect for
ourselves as well as for the future generations who are entitled to inherit
a safe and clean world without which they cannot lead a reasonably
good life. 2.Secondly, they require that I respect the rights of others. For
instance, if I say that I must be given the right to express my views I
must also grant the same right to others. My rights are limited by the
principle of equal and same rights for all.
3. Thirdly, we must balance our rights when they come into conflict. For
instance, my right to freedom of expression allows me to take pictures;
however, if I take pictures of a person bathing in his house without his
consent and post them on the internet, that would be a violation of his
right to privacy.
4. Fourthly, citizens must be vigilant about limitations which may be
placed on their rights. A currently debated topic concerns the increased
restrictions which many governments are imposing on the civil liberties
of citizens on the grounds of national security. Protecting national
security may be defended as necessary for safeguarding the rights and
well being of citizens. However, we must make sure that such
restrictions do not violate our Fundamental Rights.
Q.10 Differentiate between political rights and civil rights.
Political Civil
Political rights give to the citizens Civil rights include to the right to a
the right to equality before law and free and fair trial.
the right to participate in the
political process.
These rights include the right to They also contain the right to
vote and elect representatives, the express one’s views freely.
right to contest elections.
People also have the right to form People also have the right to protest
political parties and join them. and express dissent.
Chapter 5
Rights
Q1 What are rights? (1)
Q2 On what grounds can rights be claimed? (1)
Q3 Where do rights come from? (1)
Q4 Who is Immanuel Kant and what are his views on human
dignity? (2)
Q5 Why is so much importance placed on the legal recognition
of rights? (2)
Q6 ‘Political rights, without economic rights are meaningless.’
Explain. (4)
Q7 Differentiate between political rights and civil rights. (4)
Q8 ‘Rights place some limits on the authority of the state’.
Explain with examples. (4)
Q9 On what grounds are some rights considered to be universal
in nature? Identify three rights which you consider universal.
Give reasons. (4)
Q10 Examine the relationship between rights and duties. (6)
Q11 Describe the various kinds of rights with suitable examples.
(6)
Study the passage given below carefully and answer the questions
that follow:
“A right is an essentially an entitlement or justified claim. It
denotes what we are entitled to as citizens, as individuals, as
human beings. It is something we consider to be due to us:
something that the rest of the society must recognize as being a
legitimate claim that must be upheld.”
(a) Why do we need Rights?
(b) Write a short note on Directive principles.

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