Concept:The right to free and compulsory education for children aged 6 to 14 is a fundamental right under the Indian Constitution, added by the 86th Amendment in 2002 as Article 21A.
Explanation:The original Constitution had Article 45 under the Directive Principles, which asked the state to provide free and compulsory education for all children up to age 14 within ten years. However, Directive Principles are not enforceable in court.
The 86th Amendment Act of 2002 inserted Article 21A into the Fundamental Rights chapter. This article explicitly grants every child between 6 and 14 years the right to free and compulsory education. The state must determine the manner of providing it by law.
Other options are incorrect:
- Article 26 deals with freedom to manage religious affairs.
- Article 15 prohibits discrimination based on religion, race, caste, sex, or place of birth.
- Article 45, after the amendment, now focuses only on early childhood care and pre-primary education for children below 6 years.
Thus, the correct article is 21A.
Answer:D. Article 21A