Without a single doubt, India is the largest democracy in the world, and we don’t hold that title just for the sake of it. There are so many laws in place that make sure every individual living within the borders of this nation has legal rights to live freely, express themselves freely, and don’t get abused by anyone. But is that the case? Well, yes, and to prove that, we are here with a list of the most important legal rights of a person in India, and if you are a resident of India, you must know about these laws and legal rights. So, let’s get to it.
Fundamental Rights
Right to Equality: The Indian Constitution promises every citizen that there will be no inequality due to, for example, religion, sex, caste, race, or due to where one is born. All in all, this law or legal right is there to make sure that everyone experiences fairness in all aspects of life, so whether, in school, in public, or at work you can expect to be treated equally.
Right to Freedom: To be able to show your views, live with whoever you want, create relationships, travel from one end of the country to another, stay wherever you want, and take any job you want is a better kind of freedom, don’t you think? That said, these rights are never absolute and certain restrictions exist to ensure that citizens don’t take advantage of the words written in the Constitution to cause any distress in public order.
Right Against Exploitation: Your right not to be subjected to forced labor or sending children to work in dangerous places is not just a claim, it is enforced by law. Love and safe work environments for all are the main focus of this right.
Right to Freedom of Religion: You are free to believe in any God you want and if someone does not like it, they cannot do any harm to you for it. This faith-oriented right gives you the freedom to practice your religion as well as the freedom to choose not to affiliate yourself with any religion, so that’s that.
Cultural and Educational Rights: These rights guarantee that those who are minority persons having diverse cultures can live their lives in the way they would like to, besides that, they are free to open any educational institutions that teach about their culture to whoever is interested.
Right to Constitutional Remedies: You see, whenever any of your basic rights are infringed, you go before the court to secure that right and in that way, the law will guard your right as well as make sure that you get justice.
Legal Rights in India
Right to File an FIR: Individuals who are either crime witnesses or victims who go to the police have the right to file a First Information Report (FIR) against the offender at any police station in any part of the country. And yes, the police cannot refuse to register an FIR.
Right to Free Legal Aid: If you cannot hire a lawyer for financial reasons, there is nothing to worry about because in that case, the state will act through its police practice to provide one at no cost to you, and thus, that right there is what we call the right to free legal aid in the country.
Right to Equal Pay: Gender-based discrimination, especially when it comes to equal pay is a huge issue in the Western part of the world, but here in India, we have the Right to Equal Pay, which means you’d get the equal pay as your gender counterpart, of course, if you are doing the same jobs, with the same skill set, same experience and with the same intensity.
Rights During Arrest (Especially for Women): It is acknowledged that during the arrest of women, there is the will of protection, in particular, they should be searched only by female cops and the arrest must only happen in the daytime.
Right to Refund: Buyers should be able to take products back and get their money back if any bought products do not meet more than one of the promised quality or fail in certain standards previously agreed upon at the time of purchase.
Right Against Cheque Bounce: You see, in India, a person can be sued for a bounced check if he or she has issued it without sufficient funds.
Right to Police Help Anytime: The police officers are there to protect the public and trust them to help at any time you want. So if there is some issue that you know the police will be able to help you out with, then go ahead with that.
Specific Rights for Women
Maternity Rights: If you’re pregnant you can not be fired and you have the right to take maternity leave in order to take care of your newborn post-pregnancy.
Right to Be Searched by a Female Officer: In legal procedures, women have a female officer searching them making them feel comfortable and respecting their dignity. And if this right is violated by any male police officer, well, there will be strict action taken against him.
Some Other Rights You Should Know About
Right to Bargain: And did you know that there is even something called the Right To Bargain? Yes, it is actually your legal right to bargain with a seller, but yes, it is also up to the seller to accept your bargain.
Right to Compensation in Case of Cylinder Accidents: In India, we hear every now and then that some cylinder accident or explosion happens. But did you know that it is your right to get compensation from the cylinder companies in case something goes wrong or you get injured in any cylinder accident? Yes, that’s your legal right.
Right to Use Hotel Washrooms: You can access facilities like washrooms and drinking water in any hotel, without being a customer, thus making sure your basic needs are met.
Though these are just a few main and important legal rights of a person in India, there is a big list to discover. But we’ll introduce you to those in some other post, so we will see you in the next one.
