NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court Thursday granted two more months to the Centre to file its response to a plea seeking direction for enacting well-defined laws/rules to ensure adherence to the fundamental duties as enshrined in the Constitution.
A bench of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and M M Sundresh allowed the request of Attorney General K K Venugopal on behalf of the Union government seeking more time.
"Attorney General submits that the inputs from the various Departments and Ministries are still awaited and as the last opportunity two months' time may be granted to file a comprehensive counter affidavit.
Let the needful be done within the specified time, especially when we on earlier occasions had granted four weeks' time to file a counter affidavit.
"Such States who would like to file counter affidavit may also file their respective counter affidavit within the same time," the bench said while posting the matter for hearing on September 26.
The top court was hearing a plea filed by advocate Durga Dutt seeking issuance of directives ensuring adherence to the mandates as postulated under Part IV-A of the Constitution and said that non-adherence to them has a direct bearing on the exercise and enjoyment of the fundamental rights.
The PIL said the fundamental duties are intended to serve as a constant reminder to every citizen that while the Constitution conferred on them certain fundamental rights specifically, it also requires citizens to observe certain basic norms of democratic conduct and behaviour because rights and duties are correlative.
Dutt said his plea aims to address the issue of national importance and to promote commitment amongst citizens towards each other and towards the nation as it contributes towards the development and progress of the nation.