Question map
Which one of the following rights was described by Dr B R Ambedkar as the heart and soul of the Constitution?
Explanation
Dr B.R. Ambedkar explicitly referred to the right to constitutional remedies under Article 32 as indispensable to the Constitution, calling it “the very soul of the Constitution and the very heart of it” when discussing its centrality to protecting fundamental rights [1]. Article 32 provides an effective enforcement mechanism by enabling citizens to approach the Supreme Court (and High Courts by analogous powers) for restoration of fundamental rights and by permitting issuance of writs such as habeas corpus, mandamus, prohibition, quo warranto and certiorari [2]. Because enforcement is essential to give substance to the declared fundamental rights, Ambedkar regarded the right to constitutional remedies as the core safeguard that makes other rights meaningful [3].
Sources
- [1] Introduction to the Constitution of India, D. D. Basu (26th ed.). > Chapter 8: FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS AND FUNDAMENTAL DUTIES > CHAP. 81 > p. 152
- [2] Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth(7th ed.) > Chapter 8: Fundamental Rights > RICHTTO CONSTITUTIONAL REMEDIES > p. 97
- [3] Indian Constitution at Work, Political Science Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 2: RIGHTS IN THE INDIAN CONSTITUTION > RIGHT TO CONSTITUTIONAL REMEDIES > p. 41