An entitlement to do as a citizen, individual or human being.
Something that the society must recognise as being a legitimate claim to be uphold.
There is a distinction between what I desire to do and think that I am entitled to and what can be designated as rights.

Rights are important because:

To lead a life of respect and dignity, i.e. economic independence gives the right to fulfil the basic needs of a person by one’s talents and interests.
Citizens enjoy the rights to express themselves freely in different ways to be creative and original.
The rights let the government be aware of its success and failures and feedback of people.
Rights are necessary for the entire world, he. right to livelihood, freedom of expression, etc.
Rights help one to develop one’s own potential and skills.

The claims to rights can be made if:

Rights are necessary to earn a livelihood.
Rights are helpful to develop talent and skills.
Rights are important to lead a ‘respectful and dignified life’.
Rights are given to human being by nature of God to be born with, i.e. right to life, liberty and property, etc. as inalienable rights.
If an activity is harmful to our health and well being, it cannot be claimed as a right, i.e. the use of prohibited drugs and smoking to be injurious to health cannot be claimed as a right.

Question - 2 : -
On what grounds are some rights considered to be universal in nature? Identify three rights which you consider universal. Give reasons.

Answer - 2 : -

Some rights are considered to be universal in nature on the ground to be equally important for all human beings who live in a society. The following three rights can be identified as universal:

The right to livelihood.
Right to freedom of expression
Right to education Because:
Economic independence is the most important dignity in one’s life and considered necessary for leading a life of respect and dignity across the world.
Right to freedom of expression provides an opportunity to be creative and original in any field of one’s choice. And government also comes to know of its failures and success.
Right to education develops capacity to improve useful skills and to enable citizens to make choices in life, hence it can be designated as a universal right.

Question - 3 : -
Discuss briefly some of the new rights claims which are being put forward in our country today for example the rights of tribal people to protect their habitat and way of life, or the rights of children against bonded labour.

Answer - 3 : -

1. Rights of tribal people:

The tribal people had been living in forest areas since ancient times which are associated with their culture, way of life and livelihood.
These people urge to state that no state in the name of development should take away what had been enjoyed by them since beginning of settled life.
They consider all these demands to be justified and use the term human rights for all tribal people across the country.

2. Right of children against bonded labour:

The children must be free from bonded labour and child labour.
The children must be made free from wrong practices of child labour.
The children must have equal opportunities to be free and realise their full potential.

3. Right to sustainable development:

The human rights which people claim has been expanded over the years due to new threats and challenges in the society.
A need has been arisen to protect the natural environment, hence the demand has been generated for rights to clean air, water, sustainable development and alike.

Question - 4 : -
Differentiate between political, economic and cultural rights. Give examples of each kind of right.

Answer - 4 : -

(a)Political rights: Political rights are supplemented by several types of civil liberties, i.e. right to express one’s views freely, right to protest, free and fair trial, etc. These rights make the government accountable and ensure an opportunity to each and every individual to influence the decisions of government:

Political rights provide equality to all citizens.
Every citizen has the right to participate in political process.
Political rights provide the right to vote and elect representatives.
Every citizen enjoys the right to contest elections and right to form political parties.

(b) Economic rights:

It includes the basic needs to live and to enjoy the right to get food, shelter, clothing, health, etc.
An adequate wage to meet their basic needs.
Democratic societies provide reasonable condition of work.
Citizens with low incomes, receive housing, medical facilities and unemployed persons receive a certain minimum wage to meet their basic needs.
In India, the government has introduced a rural employment guarantee scheme to assist the poor. .

The right to have primary education.
Culture has been recognized as being necessary for leading good life.
The people have the right to enjoy one’s own language, one’s way of living, literature, style of painting, construction, religion, etc.
Right to establish institutions for teaching one’s own language.

Question - 5 : -
Rights place some limits on the authority of the state. Explain with examples.

Answer - 5 : -

The support of governments and law, direct the claimed rights towards the state, i. e. if someone asserts one’s right to education, the state is called upon to make provisions for basic education.
Right to life obliges the state to make laws to protect from being injured by others. A society can expect the state to pursue policies to provide clean environment to be essential for good quality of life.
Rights not only indicate what the state must do, they also suggest what the state must refrain from doing, i.e. the state cannot simply arrest any person as per its own will, the state is supposed to give proper reasons for curtailing one’s liberty before a judicial court.
Rights ensure that the authority of state is exercised without violating the sanctity of individual life and liberty.Hence, it can be concluded that the sovereign authority, the laws it makes, may be enforced with force, but the sovereign state exists not for its own sake but for the sake of individual. The people always matter a lot and their well-being must be persuaded by the government in power.

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