New Delhi, Aug 15 (TIWN): Chief Justice of India N.V. Ramana on Monday said the fundamental duties are not merely pedantic or technical, instead they were incorporated as the key to social transformation, as the framers of the Constitution imagined a nation, where citizens are aware, alert and able to make the right decisions.

The Chief Justice said: "Our Constitution is the fundamental document which regulates the relationship between the citizens and the government. While it has granted us inalienable rights, it places upon us certain fundamental duties. The fundamental duties are not merely pedantic or technical. They were incorporated as the key to social transformation. Our framers imagined a nation, where citizens are aware, alert and able to make the right decisions." 

He emphasized that in order to contribute meaningfully to the society, the citizens must first understand the Constitution and its organs. "It is imperative for the people to understand the system and its nuances, the powers and the limitations. That is why I am very keen on spreading the constitutional culture in India", he said.

He said the struggle for Independence was not merely for freedom from colonial power. "It was for the dignity of all. It was for laying the foundation of democracy. This foundation was laid through years of detailed deliberation in the constituent assembly, which produced the most progressive and scientific document, i.e., the Constitution of India", said Justice Ramana.  He said under the constitutional framework, each organ has been given a unique obligation and the notion that justice is only the responsibility of the court is dispelled by Article 38 of the Indian Constitution which mandates the state to secure justice: social, economic and political. "Every deed of each organ of the state has to be in the spirit of the Constitution. I must note that all the three organs of the State, i.e., the executive, legislature and the judiciary, are equal repositories of Constitutional trust," said the Chief Justice.