5.1. Justice Verma Committee Report

In 1998, the Government of India set up a Committee under the Chairpersonship of Justice J.S Verma to work out a strategy as well as methodology of operationalizing a countrywide programme for teaching fundamental Duties in every educational institution as a measure of inservice training. The Committee made the following recommendations:

A. It sought to optimize benefits from the existing schemes/programmes on national integration and communal harmony, culture and values, and environment, by further activating and monitoring the work of the institutions and NGOs who are sanctioned these schemes by the concerned ministries of Home, Human Resource Development and Environment and Forests.

B. Towards protection and improvement of environment, it recommended coordination between all the law enforcement agencies, enforcing strict compliance of the various legal provisions and filling legislative vacuum, if any.

C. Towards reorienting approaches to school curriculum, the Committee reiterated the need for a fundamental transformation in the direction and approach to curricula for teaching Fundamental Duties in school and teacher education institutions.

D. In order to ensure dignity of women, it recommended that gender biases and sex- stereotyping must be eliminated from all school and colleges textbooks and this should be given as a mandate to all curriculum development agencies, both at national and state levels.

E. Towards reorienting teacher education, it recommended a sensitization module based on Fundamental Duties to be made an integral part of all teacher education programmes, organised by National, State and District level institutions and planning large scale teacher orientation programmes on this theme.

F. Towards incorporating Fundamental Duties in the courses and programmes of higher and professional education, it suggested that the Human Rights Education Initiative of the UGC should be referred to as 'Human Rights and Fundamental Duties Education Initiative’ and the UGC may advise on incorporating Fundamental Duties as an essential component of their respective proposals while giving grants to Universities.

G. Towards the responsibilities of people's representative, the Committee recommended that special efforts should be made to ensure that our legislators are aware of the Fundamental Duties as the same are also their duties as citizens by organizing special programmes at the parliamentary and state assembly levels and involving the Corporation, Town Area Committees and the Panchayati Raj institutions in this effort.

H. Towards the obligation of public administration and civil servants, the Committee recommended that a module on Fundamental Duties should be adopted for inclusion in the Courses of different Training Institutions connected with the training of civil servants. It also recommended fixing responsibility of the senior public servants to project the image of administration as people-friendly and responsive to the problems and sufferings of the citizens and giving greater access to information and promoting transparency on part of the Government.

I. Towards the administration of justice, the Committee recommended that a Judicial Academy should be set up to provide facilities for continuing education of Judges, to focus their attention on Constitutional Values and Fundamental Duties, to foster constructive interaction between the Bar and the Bench and to facilitate application of modern techniques of management to the transaction of judicial business in the Court.

J. Towards the role of business and industry, the Committee recommended vigorous formulation and pursuit of ethical conduct for business dealings.

K. Towards the role of Media, the Committee recommended that media should constantly educate people about Constitution and the symbols of sovereignty; harness its potential for rural development, empowerment of women, distance education, environmental protection, civic consciousness and human rights awareness; formulating a comprehensive media policy.

In 2003, the Supreme Court has directed the center to enact a law for the enforcement of fundamental duties by citizens as suggested by the Justice Verma Committee (2000).

The former Chief Justice of India, Ranganath Mishra, in a letter to the Chief Justice of India, requested the apex court to issue necessary directions to the State to educate its citizens in the

matter of fundamental duties so that a right balance emerged between rights and duties. The letter was treated as a writ petition.

National Commission to Review the Working of the Constitution (NCRWC) Report in 2002 recommended the implementation of the Justice Verma Committee recommendations. It recommended that the first and foremost step that was required to be taken by the Union and State governments was to sensitize the people and create a general awareness of the provisions of fundamental duties amongst citizens.