RAS question
Right to Education under Article 21A was inserted by which Constitutional Amendment?
Correct answer: (A) 86th Amendment.
Article 21A, which guarantees free and compulsory education for children aged six to fourteen years, was inserted by the Constitution (Eighty-sixth Amendment) Act, 2002.
Explanation
The Constitution (Eighty-sixth Amendment) Act, 2002 inserted Article 21A after Article 21. Article 21A makes free and compulsory education for all children aged six to fourteen years a Fundamental Right, in the manner determined by law. The same amendment also reshaped the constitutional scheme around children’s education: it substituted Article 45 with a Directive Principle on early childhood care and education for children below six years, and added Article 51A(k), placing a duty on parents or guardians to provide educational opportunities to children between six and fourteen years. This is why the right to education under Article 21A is linked specifically to the 86th Amendment, not merely to a general education-policy change.
Why the other options are wrong
- (B) The 82nd Amendment did not insert Article 21A; the Constitution (Eighty-sixth Amendment) Act, 2002 did.
- (C) The 91st Amendment dealt with the size of the council of ministers, so it does not explain the insertion of the right to education in Article 21A.
- (D) The 93rd Amendment added Article 15(5) for reservation in private educational institutions, whereas Article 21A was inserted by the 86th Amendment.
Concept
This tests the Fundamental Rights portion of Indian Polity, especially the constitutional location and amendment history of Article 21A. It recurs in RAS because education, Directive Principles, Fundamental Duties and rights-based governance often appear together in amendment-linked questions.