RIGHTS 5

All about this chapter

.What is Meant by Rights?
Reasons Why Rights Are
Important
History of Rights, i.e., How Rights Arise: Where Do Rights Come From?
Kinds of Rights
Human Rights
Eternal Vigilance is the Price of Freedom and Human
Rights

What is meant by rights? How is a 'right' different from any 'claim'? What are the
major kinds of rights? What are Human Rights? These and many other questions
interest an
ordinary just much student of law and
person as as a politics.
WHAT IS MEANT BY RIGHTS?

Any particular right which one has is a "capacity" of enjoying some particular status
or having some "particular power of action." We may define rights "as those claims
of an individual or group of individuals to good life which are recognised by
the community as essential for the common good."

How is a Right Different from a Claim?

Rights are Claims of a person or group of persorns. But all

usually regarded as
Claims are not rights. Moreover, in no society can there be a place for "absolute
The distinction between Claims and Rights is summarised below.
rights."
has got many desires which he seeks
1. Right arises from a Claim: Every person
arises from "claim to
to satisfy. He, therefore, claims many things. Every right
as land, job, facilities, services, etc. A person will like
something of value", such
and also the freedom to choose an employment. He
to have the right to work
for the protection of his interests. He will also like
will like to join trade unions
of thought and expression.
to have the freedom
B-51
2. It is a Claim that is Just and Reasonable: But the claims should be
be reasonabl
and morally justifiable. There may be many such claims:as are opposed b l e
true welfare or to the interests of society. We find, for example, individuale to One's
one's
to die, ie. to commit suicide when in distress. One may like his radio n g
dio the
. That isorboth
TV blaring out loud music all evening and in the night also. Some people
daiming
the
or inject into their blood the drug because it has a stimulating effect. ThaMoke smoke
illegal and injurious to one's health. Such claims cannot be called "riohOth
can think of rights only among persons who are capable of acting rafi
Reason and morality alone would transform a 'Claim' into a "Righrnly
acting rationally,
3. Claim cannot become a Right unless Recognised by the Society: Everv
requires social recognition. This is for two reasons. In the first place,
Every right
place, the
the idea of
rights arises only in a society. Man has to live and work in cooperation uid
others. These others put forth the same claims as he does. My "right to lite
with
s
very similar to yours. It means I have no right to act in a manner that riskod
other's life. In the second place, rights can only be sustained and supported h
SOciety. Society by its collective moral or physical force would do everythina
possible to make my right safe from assault or loss. Society's recognition to a
a
claim is essential before it can become a right.

REASONS WHY RIGHTS ARE IMPORTANT

Possession of rights
has been regarded as an essential element of Citizenship in all
countries. Rights define the position of an Individual in a State.

Self-fulfilment: Freedom and Dignity of Individual

In order to attain self-fulfilment, man must have the
opportunity of free
and action. In earlier times the rights were known as 'Civil
thought
Liberties' which included
many freedoms such as freedom from unreasonable arrest, freedom of speech, and
freedom of religion, etc. To secure these freedoms,
people had to put up a strong
fight against coercive power of the State in each
country. Later there arose the
concept of the 'Rights of Man' which included both civil and political rights. The
French Declaration of the Rights of Man, for instance,
guaranteed the following
rights: freedom of thought and speech, freedom from arbitrary
arrest, and the right
to take part in the formation of laws.
If maintain that an individual should live with some
we

the "Right to Work." In the absence of a "living

dignity, he should have
wage" it is impossible for any one
to buy food, clothing and other necessary
things. Nor can one attain a standard of
living sufficient enough for the well-being and dignity of himself and his family.

B-52
 iberties are the Requisites of Democracy
Civil

AomOCratic system cannot function if civil liberties are denied to citizens.

Civil
.rties such as freedom of speech and freedom from
arbitrary arrest should be
tected
ected by the government. Citizens should also have the
nions. Freedom of the mass media (radio, television andright form associations
to
runio

in the freedom of speech and expression. newspapers) is implied

Right to Education Develops Natural Abilities
This right helps individual to develop his natural
an
abilities, talent and skills.
Besides professional skills, education should aim at
riohts. It should promote tolerance and friendshipstrengthening respect for human
among all racial or religious
groups.

HISTORY OF RIGHTS, i.e., HOW RIGHTS ARISE:

WHERE DO RIGHTS COME FROM?
There is no easy answer to the question: How rights arise? Various
explanations
have been otfered regarding the nature of rights.

Theory of Natural Rights

According to John Locke, Thomas Paine and the French Revolutionaries, rights
belong to man by Nature. Locke calls the right to life, the right to liberty and the
right to property as the Natural Rights of Man. All men are born with these rights
and they can be asserted anywhere and everywhere. The French Declaration of
the Rights of Man names freedom, equality and private property as "inviolable and
sacred rights," which no one shall be deprived of. According to this theory, rights
are absolute and inalienable.
Merits and Demerits of the Theory: Theory of Natural Rights, no doubt, gave
push to the struggle against king's cruelties. It laid stress onthe civil liberties and
equality of men. The right to property encouraged the greatest expansion of economic
activities ever witnessed by human societies.
But there are two main demerits of this theory. First, it very difficult to define
the term "natural." Whereas some thinkers assert that private property is a natural
right, others favour the abolition of private property. Secondly, there can be no
permanent or unchanging catalogue of rights as suggested by the advocates of this

changing with the changing needs of society.

theory. Rights keep on

Utility Theory of Rights

are those conditiorns of social life zvithout wlich
According to Harold Laski, "rights no

at his best." Laski has criticised the theory

in general, to be himself
af
man can seek,
B-53
 of rights as well. Laski ma
the legal theory
Natural Rights.
the test of
He
rights.
attacked
According to him the rights ecause tho
are for everyone, because lity
the demands "Utility
the fulfilment of his needs must be taken astakenof eaualnds
as of
equal worth
of each citizen for who are in authore
not only for those
Thus, freedom of speech has value
distinction
rity, 15 aa
it is
to all citizens without tion.
right that should be equally applicable
which are essential for the develan.
Laski has mentioned all those rights
such rights are () the right
to work, (in thntof evelopment of
one's personality. Among
education, and (1u) the right to political n t
sufficient wages, (ii) the right to power.
and the State
Theory of Legal Rights: Legal Rights
Natural Rights gave rise to the theory of
of Legal
Ien.
Criticism and defects of the theory of
Hobbes and developed later by Benth
Rights. This theory was put forward by law and of the law alone. There n
and Austin. Bentham said, "rights are the fruits of re
no rights without law."
State is the sole creator of rights. There
According to this theory of rights, the
can be no right unless there is an effective legal remedy or machinery to enforce
the rights. Constitutional recognition of rights make them more etfective. Therefore.
it is often a practice in most democratic countries to incorporate a "Bill of Rights"
in the Constitution itself. In our country such rights are called Fundamental Rights.
The Fundamental Rights are meaningful only because the Supreme Court and
the High Courts have power to issue orders or writs for the enforcement of rights,

Rights Put Obligations on State to do Certain Things

Rights are upheld by the power of the State. Thus in relation to property, life,
security of body and family relations, detailed laws exist that have to be obeyed.
If we have the right to life, a duty is cast on the State to punish those who
deliberately and unlawfully kill people. There are many laws to protect human
rights in India.
State has an obligation to ensure a Safe Environment in these
days. The objective
of Environment Protection Acts is to provide laws that do cover not merely land
or water or air, but all aspects of the Environment.

Rights Impose Restrictions upon the Behaviour of Government

Our rights not only impose demands upon State. There are such rights also as
impose restrictions upon the behaviour of government. For example, the
government
is required not to place unreasonable restrictions upon freedom of speech and
expression. Similarly, no person shall be prosecuted and punished for the same
offence more than once.

B-54
 om
Thus s eof the rights require that the
tecting them, whereas others government should provide a mechanism
for prote

gOvernment
impose restrictions upon the acts of the
luation of the Theory
Legal Rightsof
authtedly, rights not supported by laws of
1

recognition would make them rights. This State,

U n d o

are mere Claims.

Only the
egal
writers like
by
rongly by writer theory, however, is criticised very
Harold Laski, and others.
tvpes of rights, those that
have been
According to Laski, there are
two
recognised and others that demand
wOgnition
recog by the state. Thus, the "Right to Work" even though it has not been
rOgnised many states, shall always be claimed as
recognised in
the
the genuine right of a person. Why? Because even the

olementary needs, not to speak of the higher

needs of
ife, demand work, i.e. a
living wage. Rights arise from
the moral nature of man. Human
consciousness
presupposes liberty and liberty involves rights.

Hobbes' most outstanding work 'Leviathan' was

published in 1651. In Bible the word 'Leviathan' refers
to 'a sea monster very large creature. Hobbes
or a
called the Monarch or State by this name. According
to Hobbes, "Leviathan is the sole source of laws"
Leviathan is also the creator of Rights and Justice. Thomas Hobbes
(1588-1679 AD)

KINDS OF RIGHTS

The rights may broadly be placed under the following heads:

Political Rights: Right to participate in Political Processes

The political rights involve the following rights:
1. The Right to Vote: Normal practice in all democratic States is that all adults have
the right to vote, except those who are of unsound mind or are disqualified under
some law of the land. In India the 6lst Amendment Act (1989) lowered the voting
age from 21 to 18 years.
to vote is not only a right duty as well. When we choose our
but a
Right
weshould not be swayed by consideration of caste, communitu.
representatives,
voters yield to the muscle or money power of the
or religion. Neither should the
candidates.

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 process implies #h.
Right to participate political
in
2. The Right to be Elected:
to having abght
to contest an election, although that right
may be subjected
of
particular
twenty-five
age. years.
MembersRight
of to
thepolitical
Lok Sabhaprocess
in India
includes
should
the have
rightattained
to form #or joind he age

a political party also.

democracy every
citizen has the right t
3.The Right to Public Office: In a
techn
hold
that the necessary professional or
ical
government office, provided
qualitications are satisfied.

Civil Rights and Liberties

Civil liberties are of many kinds, the following being
the most important amon

them
Personal Liberty: A person should
not be imprisoned or detained, exCent
1. Right to
law. Personal Iiberty also means that privacv
according to procedure established by law.
of homes and correspondence, etc., should be protected by
2. Freedom of Speech, Expression and Assembly: This means the right to say or
write what one chooses and the right to attend any lawful public meeting. These
freedoms enable us to in cultural and political activities.
participate
3. Freedom of Religion: The right to practise one's religion has come to be recognised
as a basic right in all civilized societies. State should not be wedded to any Church
or religious Creed. The right to freedom of religion is clearly recognised by the
Constitution of India.
4. Right to Civil Equality: It implies that nobody should be subjected to discriminatory
treatment on grounds of race, religion, caste or sex. We would concern ourselves
with two main dimensions of equality.
First, women should be legal equals of men. There should be "equal pay for equal
work for both men and women." In India the customs of marriage, divorce, dowry
and inheritance tell a tale of female injury, which is unjust.
Second, inferior treatment should not be
meted out to any section of society, on The Gender Gap in India

grounds only of race or caste. The gender gap refers to distinctions

Equality before the law does not prevent
the state from making some special
provisions to promote the interests of
women, children and backward class of
citizens.
between males and females in terms
of their socio-economic status and
political opportunities. According to the
World Economic Forum's Gender Gap
Report, India ranked 108 among 145
cOuntries in gender gap parity.

B-56
socio-Economic Rights
cdcal thinkers and soCiologists are not satisfied with the provision of civil and
Politic

wcal liberties
politice
alone. Democratic societies insist on the following socio-economic
hts of the citizens:

to Work: Every citizen has a

right to be occupied in
1. Right
r Services. The two other aspects of this right are as follows:
producing some goods
Eirst, an
First, an ind
individual has the right also to be paid an "adequate wage" for his
work. He should have an access to clean water, housing, health care and educational
Woi

opportunities.

Second, everyone has "the right to security" in the event of unemployment,

sickness, disability, widowhood or old age. The Rural Employment Guarantee
Act, 2005 provides 100 days of guaranteed employment in every year to every
rural household in India. The Act came into force in all the 619 districts of the
country on 1 April 2008.
2. Right to Property: Liberal-democratic societies recognise the right to property,
subject to the provision that the property may be acquired for public purposes.

Cultural and Educational Rights

Democratic societies recognise the cultural and educational rights of their citizens.
Citizens have the right to such education as will prepare them for the tasks of
citizenship. In the long run, power belongs to
those who have a sound grasp of ideas and
new techniques. No doubt that all persons do
not possess the talent and capability for holding
a high university degree, yet there is a
minimum basis of education that everybody
needs to acquire.
The Constitution of India protects the
cultural and educational rights of
following
the Minorities: (i) right to conserve the

language, script and culture, and (ii) the right Abraham Lincoln Writing
to establish and administer educationalresident
Proclamation of Emancipation
institutions of their choice.

Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation

The American Civil War ended slavery Abraham
held as slaves were thenceforward and forever free."
said, "All persons

B-57
 Bonded Labour
Rights of Children against
is a worldwide problem. A very large pronor
Exploitation of child labour
from an early age as 'bonded labour: Work
children are forced to work
are usually very
bad and remuneration they get is just nominal. Such childn
and subjected to conditions injurious to
dren are
are conditions
naturally deprived of education the
and welfare. The United Nations
called for an Action for the Eliminationealth health
Labour and for the Prevention of the sale of Children and Child Pornoaranhd Child
an important role in prote.ctinne
United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) plays and
Children.
promoting the Rights of the

HUMAN RIGHTS

Today, the term 'Natural Rights' stands replaced by Human Rights'. The E Fascist
and the Nazi rulers of Italy and Germany had an utter disregard for the Hum
uman
Rights. Men and Women looked for a better and happier world after the Second
World War (1939-1945). This led to the establishment of the United Nations

Organisation on 24 October, 1945.

Universal Declaration of Human Rights
The UN Charter declared its faith in "fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth
of the human person." On 10th December 1948, the UN General Assembly adopted and
proclaimed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights'. Since then every year 10th
December is celebrated as the Human Rights Day' all over the world.

Meaning of Human Rights

Human rights refer to
those freedoms which Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt, the
should be available to wife of the former US
all persons, irrespective President Franklin D.
of their religion, race, Roosevelt, served as a US tluman
delegate to the UN General
caste, sex, nationality
Assembly from 1945 to 1951.
or any of them. These
She played a significant role
rights include the
in negotiating the Universal
right to life, right to
Declaration of Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt
education, right to
Human
Rights. She said, "the Declaration will become tne
Own property, International Magna Carta of all men
equality before the everywhere
law and many other rights. In the words of Leah Levin, these rights are "inalienable
d inherent in individuals by virtue of their
humanity alone." He looks at rights from
a highly moral viewpoint. we have tnem both for the development of "individual

B-58
 econality" and to enrich "the society at large". The
rsonality"
pe World Conference on Human
Rights (1993) said, "the universal nature of human
s (190
rights and freedoms is beyond question."
Main Assumptions of Human Rights
he
The Human Rights are based on the
following assumptions:
Rights belong to Man by Nature: All
rights belong to man by nature.
human beings are born free. In other words,
They can be asserted anywhere and
Prohibition of Discrimination: The state shall not everywhere.
on grounds only of race, colour,
discriminate against any citizen
sex, religion, place of birth or
However, the State may make any special any of them.
sections of society. provision for the advancement of weaker
3The Universality of Rights: The Declaration applies to all
Countries and is not limited to self-governing States alone. territories and all
In other words, those
people are also entitled to these rights who belong to a which
by another country. country, is controlled

Classification of the Human

Rights
The Declaration comprises a Preamble and 30 Articles. The Human
grouped under five broad Rights may be
categories.
1. Civil Rights: Many civil
rights and freedoms are set forth in the Declaration, such
as the right to life,
liberty and security of person. Slavery and the slave trade
shall be prohibited in all their forms. No one shall be
cruel or inhuman treatment. Every one has
subjected to torture or to
right to freedom of thought, conscience
and religion.
2. Political Rights: Every has the
one
right to take part in the government of his
country, directly or through freely chosen representatives. The Will of the People'
shall be the basis of the authority of government. This "Will' shall be
expressed
through periodic elections. Every one has the right to a nationality also. No one
shall be arbitrarily deprived of his nationality.

The prisoner hangsfrom the ceiling and is being

given electric shocks, just to get some information
from him or to make him confess to
something.
Universal Declaration
of Human Rights
"No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel,
inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment"
Article 5

Torture
B-59
3. Economic Rights: Every one has the right to own property alone ad
association with others. Every one has the right to work and to protection ell asas inin
and join
unemployment. Moreover, every one has the right to form and
join trade against
unions
for the protection of his interests.
4. Social Rights: Men and women of full age have the right to marry and o
to ound
a family. The Motherhood and Childhood are entitled to special care and assis
nce.
Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamentalnce
Moreover, education should promote understanding tolerance and frio stages.
among all nations and
racial groups. friendship
5. Cultural Rights: Every one has the right treely to participate in the cultural .
of the community. In other words, every one has the right to enjoy the arts life
and its benefits.
and
to share in scientific advancement
The Covenants (International Bill of Human Rights): 'These rights are leoal..
binding by virtue of two International Covenants, to which most States are partio
ies.
These two Covenants are: (i) International Covenant on Civil and Political Right
and (i) International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. The two
Covenants constitute the International Bill of Rights. The States which have ratified
ed
the Covenants and the Protocol are under a legal obligation to act in accordance
with these principles.
Expansion of Human Rights: As we already told you, rights keep on changing
with the needs of society. The environmentalists want to protect and preserve the
natural environment including forests, rivers and wild life. From time to time the
UN General Assembly adopted the following Conventions (Agreements): Elimination
of Discrimination against Women, Convention on the Rights of the Child, Human
Rights in Times of War and Rights and Status of Refugees. 'International Convention
on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination' and the 'International
Convention on Suppression of the Crime of Apartheid', i.e., discrimination on grounds
of race.

Human Rights Monitoring Agencies

Most of the nations have ratified the two
Conventions, one on Civil and Political Rights and
the other on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
The UN Human Rights monitoring agencies are
as follow:
i) UN Human Rights Commission
(ii) The High Commissioner for Human Rights
(ii) Human Rights Committee
(io) Commission on the status of Women
UN Centre for Human Rights

B-60
 acides, there are many Non-governmental
n rights. Amnesty International (foundedOrganisations
Bes (NGOs) fighting for
iman
in 1961 by a British
nson) is the world's largest non-governmental or lawyer, Peter
rights. Its objectives are: () to seek release ofvoluntary
Benense
forhuman
human right organisation working
persons detained for political
or religious opinions, ()
religious opinior prevention of torture, and (ii) to help refugees who seek
laum in other countries. But
asylum the recentin
past there has been
between what it says and what it actually does.
a
credibility gap
NGOs Fighting for Human Rights in India: In India more than 200 NGOs,
inrluding Peoples Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) and
Peoples Commission, have
hoen active in drawing public attention to human rights abuses. They have brought
talight the cases of the bonded labourers,
children in
prisons and violence committed
a0ainst women under trials. "This required a special kind of
courage, but each time
a man stands up for an ideal, he sends out a tiny ripple of hope. "Those ripples,"
the late Robert F. Kennedy said, "build a current which can down the
walls of pression and resistance,"
sweep mightiest

Right Activists Pleading for the Terrorists

Those who speak in favour of terrorists are actually supporting "animal rights; not
human rights. "Those who violate the rights of society and have no respect for
human rights are not humans but animals. And people fighting for terrorists are
actually supporting animal rights" said Justice Arijit Pasayat, a Supreme Court
Judge. He was speaking at a conference organised by the Indian Law Institute
on 27 January, 2009.

ETERNAL VIGILANCE IS THE PRICE OF FREEDOM

AND HUMAN RIGHTS

civil liberties (freedom of speech, freedom of

Sometimes curbs on our freedom and
we would have no mercy on terrorists
the press, etc.) cross reasonable limits, although
a person who is arrested has a right to
or those charged with Sedition. Ordinarily,
for such arrest. He has also the right to be defended
be informed of the grounds
in cases where a person is
his choice. But these rights do not aPply
by lawyer
a of
is detained under any law providing for Preventive
i) an enemy alien, or (ii)
Detention.
Public be Vigilant
To Sum Up: Let Citizens, non-governmental
Citizens have to keep their eyes open. vvelnrormed
violations
0ernmental
rights
should fight against of
mass
media
organisations and
B-61
prisoners died under
torture. There is no such acts
justitication of such acts on the
police or investigating agencies. partof
Summary of the main points

What is Meant by Rights? Rights are those claims of an individual or

group
individuals to good life which are recognised by the community as essential of
for the
common good. Right arises from a Claim that is just-A Claim cannot
becomea Right
unless recognised by the Society.
Reasons Why Rights are Important: (i) Self-fultilment, 1.e. freedom and dionit. bf.
Individual; (i) Civil liberties are the Requisites of LDemocracy; and (i) Rieht .
to
Education develops Natural Abilities.
How Rights Arise or Where Do Rights Come From? (7) According to the thec
of Natural Rights, the rights to life, liberty and property are the natural rights ryo
man; (i) the Utility theory of Rights. Legal Rights; i.e. Theory of Legal Rioht
According to this theory, State is the sole creator of rights. There are no rights

without law.
Our rights put obligations on State to do certain things. There are many laws to
protect our property, life and family relations. There are such rights also as impose
restrictions upon the behaviour of government.
Kinds of Rights: () Political Rights; (i) Civil Rights and Liberties such as the right
to personal liberty, freedom of speech and expression, freedom of religion, and the
right to civil equality; (ii) Socio-economic Rights, such as the right to work and the
right to property and (io) Cultural and Educational Rights.
Human Rights: Human rights refer to those freedoms which should be available to
all persons, irrespective of their religion, race, caste, sex, nationality or any of them.
Declaration and Classification of Human Rights: December 10, 1948This day is
celebrated as the Human Rights Day all over the world-Civil, Political, Economic
Social and Cultural Rights.
The Covenants: International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and International
Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights came into force in 1976.
Expansion of Human Rights: International Convention on the Elimination ot Al
Forms of Racial Discrimination (1965), Convention on the Elimination of All
Forms
of Discrimination against Women (1979), Declaration of the Rights of the Child (195)
and Convention against Torture (1984).
Eternal Vigilance is the Price of Freedom and Human Rights: Citizens have to
keep their eyes open. There is no justification for torture to obtain confessions trom
the prisoners. them.

B-62
 EXERCISES
A.
Following Questions carry 1 Mark each
A Answers should not exceed 20 Words each)
(a) Name the two great thinkers
who propounded the
Ans. John Locke and Thomas Paine. theory of Natural Rights.
(b) Who propounded the Utility theory of Rights?
Ans. Harold Laski
(c Name the two great political thinkers who
Rights.
propounded the theory of Legal
Ans. John Austin and Jeremy Bentham
d Which day is celebrated as the Human
Ans. 10th December
Rights Day all over the world.

(e) When and by whom was Amnesty International founded?

Ans. It was founded in 1961 by a British
lawyer Peter Benenson.
( Write "Yes' or "No' in the bracket given after each statement. (1 Mark each)
() In order to live with dignity an individual needs to be
provided with a job, i.e. the Right to Work.
(i) Rights of children included the elimination of bonded labour
and prevention of the sale of children.
(ii) Freedom of Speech is one of the economic rights of
the citizens.
(io) Minorities have a right to establish institutions of their choice. [
() Torture is justified to obtain information or confessions from
the accused.
Ans. () Yes (ii) Yes (iii) No (iv) Yes () No

B. Following Questions carry 2 Marks each

(Answers should not exceed 40 Words each)
2. (a) Mention any two cultural and educational rights of the Minorities guaranteed
by the Constitution of India.
Ans. Constitution of India protects these rights of the Minorities: (i) Right
and culture, and (ii) Right to establish and
to conserve the language, script
administer educational institutions of their
choice.
International Covenants.
(6) The Human Rights are legally binding by virtue of two
Name the two Covenants.
Civil and Political Rights, and
Ans. (i) International Covenant on

International Covenant on
Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
(i)

B-63
 (c) Comment on the statement that "eternal vigilance is the price of e.
Ans. Citizens have to keep their eyes open. Well-informed citizene edom"
ell-informed citizens should
fight against violations of rights. This required a special kind of
of cO
kind
that is worth the effort that is spent on it. But courage.
(d) Name any two Human Rights Monitoring Agencies.
Ans. () The UN Human Rights Commission, and

(i) The UN Human Right Committee.

c) Mention any two objectives of Amnesty International.
Ans. () To seek release of persons detainea ror polltical or
religious opinionns,
and
who seek asylum in other countries.
(i) To help refugees
C. Multiple Choice Questions
3. (a) The UN General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human
uman
Rights on which of the following days?
() March 10, 1945 (i) April 10, 1947
(ii) December 10, 1948 (io) January 10, 1949
Ans. December 10, 1948
(b) Which one of the following is not a main assumption of Human Rights?
(i) All Human beings are born free
(ii) State shall not discriminate against any Citizen on grounds only of race,
colour or sex.
(ii) Declaration of Human Rights applies to self-governing countries alone.
(iv) Rights belong to man by nature.
Ans. The statement (ii) is not a main assumption of Human Rights. The
Declaratioin applies to all territories and all countries.
(c) Which one of the following is an Economic Right of all Citizens?
i) Right to Conserve one's larnguage
(i) Right to Work
(ii) Freedom of Speed and Expression
(iv) Freedom of Religion
Ans. Right to Work (i) is an Economic Right

D. Following Questions carry 4 Marks each

(Answers should not exceed 100 Words each)
4. What is meant Human Rights? Mention any two Civil and any two Political
rights included in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the
UN General Assembly.
5. What are the main assumptions ot the Human Rights included in the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights?

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 Collowing Questions carry 5 to 6 Marks each
E
(Answers should not exceed 150 Words
each)
6. What is meant by Rights? How is a Right different form a Claim?
7. Why areRights necessary and important for individuals?
8. Explain the theory of Natural Rights as expounded
Revolutionaries. by John Locke and French
a Describe the theory of Legal Rights under the
(a) Rights put obligations on State to do following headings:
certain things
(b) Rights place limits on actions of
Government
10. Explain:
(a) Any three political rights
(b) Any three civil rights and liberties
11. Explain the Socio-economic rights of the Citizens.
E.Passage-based Question
Study the passage given below and the
answer questions that follow:
In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, political theorists
that rights argued
are given to us by nature or God. The
rights ofderived from natural
men were
law. This meant that rights were not conferred
by ruler or a society; rather we
a
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.. 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. In recent
years, the term human rights are being used more than the term natural rights.
(Source: NCERT Textbook)
Questions:
1. What was the main doctrine of rights that emerged in the seventeenth and
eighteenth centuries? What was the belief of the political thinkers of those times?
2. What were the three natural rights of man identified by the political theorists
in the 17th and 18th centuries?
3. Which term began to be used more than the term 'natural rights' in recent years?

(2+2+1)
A Guideline:
ot Man. The 17th and 18th centuries political
1. It wasthe doctive of Natural Rights
are given to us by Nature or God" and "we are
thinkers believed that "rights
born with them."
three Rights of Man: the right to Life, Liberty and Propertv.
2. They identified these
began to be used.
the term "Human Rights'
3. In recent years
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