Directive Principles of State Policy

The Directive Principles of State Policy are the guidelines for the framing of laws by the government. These provisions, set out in Part IV of the Constitution, are not enforceable by the courts, but the principles on which they are based are fundamental guidelines for governance that the State is expected to apply in framing and passing laws.

Directive Principles are directions given to the State to guide the establishment of an economic and social democracy, as proposed by the Preamble. They set forth the humanitarian and socialist instructions that were the aim of social revolution envisaged in India by the Constituent Assembly. The State is expected to keep these principles in mind while framing laws and policies.

The Fundamental Duties are defined as the moral obligations of all citizens to help promote a spirit of patriotism and to uphold the unity of India. These duties, set out in Part IV A of the Constitution, concern individuals and the nation. Like the Directive Principles, they are not legally enforceable.

Make mandatory on part of the State to

i) promote the welfare of the people by securing and protecting as effectively as it may a social order in which justice, social, economic and political, shall inform all the institutions of the national life under Article 38(1)

ii) direct its policy towards securing the citizens, men and women equally, have the right to an adequate means of livelihood under Article 39

iii) secure the operation of the legal system promotes justice, on a basis of equal opportunity, and shall, in particular, provide free legal aid, by suitable legislation or schemes or in any other way, to ensure that opportunities for securing justice are not denied to any citizen by reason of economic or other disabilities under Article 39A

iv) take steps to organise Village Panchayats and endow them with such powers and authority as may be necessary to enable them to function as units of self-government under Article 40

v) make effective provision for securing the right to work, to education and to public assistance in cases of unemployment, old age, sickness and disablement, and in other cases of undeserved want, within the limits of its economic capacity and development under Article 41

vi) make provision for securing just and humane conditions of work and for maternity relief under Article 42

vii) endeavour to secure, by suitable legislation or economic organisation or in any other way, to all workers, agricultural, industrial or otherwise, work, a living wage, conditions of work ensuring a decent standard of life and full enjoyment of leisure and social and cultural opportunities and, in particular, the State shall endeavour to promote cottage industries on an individual or co-operative basis in rural areas under Article 43

viii) Participation of workers in management of industries, Article 43A

ix) Uniform civil code for the citizens, Article 44

x) Provision for free and compulsory education for children under Article 45

xi) Promotion of educational and economic interests of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and other weaker sections under Article 46

xii) Duty of the State to raise the level of nutrition and the standard of living and to improve public health under Article 47

xiii) Organisation of agriculture and animal husbandry under Article 48

xiv) Protection and improvement of environment and safeguarding of forests and wild life under Article 48A

xv) Protection of monuments and places and objects of national importance under Article 49

xvi) Separation of Judiciary from Executive under Article 50