This is plain-language civic education, not legal advice. Each right is written into the Constitution of India; the article numbers let you check the original text.
The Preamble
The Constitution opens with a promise, made in the name of the people of India. It sets out what the country is meant to be, and the four values every law must serve.
We, the People of India ... give to ourselves this Constitution.
India is a Sovereign, Socialist, Secular, Democratic Republic.
"Socialist" and "Secular" were added later, by the 42nd Amendment in 1976.
Justice
Social, economic and political - for everyone, not just a few.
Liberty
Of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship.
Equality
Of status and of opportunity, whoever you are.
Fraternity
Dignity for each person, and unity for the nation.
Part III - Fundamental Rights
These are guaranteed to you by the Constitution itself. If the state breaks them, you can go straight to court - and the court can strike down the law or the order.
Articles 14-18
The law treats everyone the same.
The state cannot favour you or discriminate against you because of your religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth. Everyone is equal before the law.
What this means for you
Articles 19-22
The core freedoms of a free citizen.
You can speak, gather peacefully, move and live anywhere in India, and choose your work - within reasonable limits set by law. You also have protections if you are ever arrested.
What this means for you
Articles 23-24
No one can be forced, bonded or trafficked.
Human trafficking, begar (forced unpaid labour) and bonded labour are banned. Children under 14 cannot be made to work in factories, mines or other hazardous jobs.
What this means for you
Articles 25-28
Believe, and practise, freely.
You are free to follow, practise and share any religion, or none at all. Every religious community can manage its own affairs, and India has no official state religion.
What this means for you
Articles 29-30
Your language and culture are protected.
Any community can keep its own language, script and culture. Religious and linguistic minorities can set up and run their own schools and colleges.
What this means for you
Article 32
The right that protects all the others.
If any fundamental right is violated, you can go directly to the Supreme Court, which can issue orders (writs) to enforce it. Dr B. R. Ambedkar called this the "heart and soul" of the Constitution.
What this means for you
The most-used articles
Two articles inside your Right to Freedom do the heaviest lifting in everyday life.
Article 21
No person can be deprived of life or personal liberty except by a fair, just and reasonable procedure established by law. Courts have read this widely - it now includes the right to live with dignity, to privacy, to a clean environment, to health, and to a livelihood.
Article 21A
The state must provide free and compulsory education to every child aged 6 to 14. Added by the 86th Amendment in 2002 and backed by the Right to Education Act, 2009.
Enforcing your rights
A right you cannot enforce is only a promise. The Constitution gives you a direct route to the courts, which can issue five kinds of orders, called writs.
A writ is simply a direct order from a court. Which one you need depends on the problem. The old Latin names are still used, but here is what each one actually does:
Free someone locked up illegally
Habeas Corpus
If a person is being held without a lawful reason, the court can order that they be brought before it and set free.
Make an office do its duty
Mandamus
Orders a government office to do the job the law requires - for example, to issue a document you are clearly entitled to.
Stop a court that is overstepping
Prohibition
Tells a lower court or tribunal to stop handling a case it has no power to hear, before it decides it.
Undo a wrong order already made
Certiorari
Cancels a decision a lower court or authority has already passed without the power to, or without a fair hearing.
Question someone's claim to a post
Quo Warranto
Challenges a person holding a public office they are not legally entitled to, and can have them removed.
Part IVA - Article 51A
Rights come with responsibilities. The Constitution lists the duties every citizen is expected to keep - the other side of the same coin.
Part IV - Directive Principles
These are goals set for every government. Courts cannot enforce them directly, but they are fundamental to how the country should be run, and laws are shaped by them.
The whole Constitution
The Constitution of India is the longest written constitution in the world, and the supreme law of the land - every other law must obey it.
The text is organised into parts. The ones closest to you as a citizen:
Schedules are the detailed lists attached to the Constitution. A few you may hear about:
It can change - but carefully
The Constitution can be amended under Article 368, and has been over a hundred times. But the Supreme Court has held that its "basic structure" - such as democracy, secularism and the rule of law - can never be amended away.
Rights can change too: the Right to Property was a fundamental right until 1978, when the 44th Amendment made it an ordinary legal right (Article 300A).
Rights are enforced by the people you elect and the officials you can reach. See who is responsible for what, then find the right office near you.
Source: the Constitution of India. This page is for civic awareness and is not legal advice - for any specific situation, consult a lawyer or the official text.