Page 138 - Constitution
P. 138
70 Years of Indian Years of Indian
Constitution
Constitution
The Indian Government was one of
he year 2020 has brought with it a lot of
unprecedented challenges. In December the first few countries to take actions
regarding the spreading of the virus and
T 2019, a virus named ‘Novel Coronavirus
declared a 1st phase 21 days nationwide
2019’ has had an outbreak from Wuhan City in China
lockdown on March 25.
and since then no country remained unaffected by
this virus. While the international communities were
battling with covid-19, the approach taken by the existing fundamental rights thereby bringing forth
Indian Government took a decision for a complete the prevailing loopholes of the system into light.
lockdown to break the chain of infection of this This pandemic has acted as a magnifying glass,
deadly disease. compelling the government to read in-between
Emerging pandemics show that humans are not the lines of the Constitution. There is a wide gap
infallible and communities need to be prepared. between the reality and the existing laws as the state
Coronavirus outbreak was first reported towards governments suffer from an implementation failure.
the end of 2019 and has now been declared a In order to battle with the crisis, the governments
pandemic by the World Health Organization. need to take proactive steps to ensure adequate
Worldwide, countries are responding differently to availability of food, and proper healthcare facilities
the virus outbreak and the nations have put in place and proper sanitation and shelter to the people
effective strategies to contain the infection and have belonging to the under privileged section of the
recorded a very low number of cases since the society. How the state act will now is important since
beginning of the pandemics. Restrictive measures we have the past experience in dealing with issues.
like social distancing, lockdown, case detection, However, the sheer demographic pressure is too
isolation, contact tracing, and quarantine of exposed much to handle in such disruptive times.
had revealed the most efficient actions to control the Fundamental Rights and the Impact of Covid-19:
disease spreading. Part- III of the Constitution of India guarantees
The Indian Government was one of the first few ‘Fundamental Rights’ to the people of India. At the
countries to take actions regarding the spreading core of these rights is the Right to life under Article
of the virus and declared a 1st phase 21 days 21 of the Constitution whereas the Right to life and
nationwide lockdown on March 25. The effect of liberty, which again encompasses a few implicit
Covid-19 has called attention to the elasticity of the rights such as Right to Health, Right to food, right to
138 70 Years of Indian Constitution
