What Part IV of the Constitution asks of the State, why courts cannot enforce it, how it has wrestled with the Fundamental Rights, and how far its ideals have reached the people of India and Bihar.
LocationArt 36–51Part IVWhere the Directive Principles live.
SourceIrelandBorrowed FromThe idea came from the Irish Constitution.
NatureArt 37Fundamental, Not EnforceableNo court can enforce them; the State must apply them.
Content3 TypesClassificationSocialistic, Gandhian and liberal–intellectual.
Balance1980Minerva MillsFRs and DPSPs: two wheels of a chariot.
ImplementationBiharIn PracticeLand reform to Har Ghar Nal Ka Jal.
Part IV · Articles 36–51
The Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSPs) are listed in Part IV of the Constitution, from Article 36 to Article 51. The framers borrowed the idea from the Irish Constitution.
The Directive Principles “shall not be enforceable by any court, but the principles therein laid down are nevertheless fundamental in the governance of the country and it shall be the duty of the state to apply these principles in making laws.”
So the DPSPs are not mere pious declarations, but clear directions for the guidance of State policy.
“Novel features” of the Constitution
Dr. B.R. Ambedkar described these principles as ‘novel features’ of the Indian Constitution.
The soul of the Constitution
Together with the Fundamental Rights, the DPSPs contain the philosophy of the Constitution — they are its soul.
They state the ideals the State should keep in mind while making policies and laws.
They resemble the ‘Instrument of Instructions’ listed in the Government of India Act, 1935.
Example: Under the 1935 Act, the British Crown issued such instructions to the Governor-General and Governors; the DPSPs are similar instructions — but to the government of free India.
They form a very comprehensive economic, social and political programme for a modern democratic State.
They aim to realise the high ideals of justice, liberty, equality and fraternity outlined in the Preamble.
They embody the idea of a ‘welfare state’ and seek to establish economic and social democracy in the country.
They are not legally enforceable by the courts if violated.
They help courts examine and decide the constitutional validity of a law.
Content and direction
Based on their content and direction, the Directive Principles are classified into three broad categories: socialistic, Gandhian and liberal–intellectual. A few Directives also sit outside Part IV.
Promote the welfare of the people by securing a social order permeated by justice — social, economic and political.
The State shall secure:
Promote equal justice and provide free legal aid to the poor.
Secure the right to work, to education, and to public assistance in cases of unemployment, old age, sickness and disablement.
Make provision for just and humane conditions of work and maternity relief.
Secure a living wage, a decent standard of life, and social and cultural opportunities for all workers.
Take steps to secure the participation of workers in the management of industries.
Raise the level of nutrition and the standard of living of people, and improve public health.
What makes them work
No court can enforce a Directive Principle. So what makes governments follow them?
“A government which rests on popular vote can hardly ignore the Directive Principles while shaping its policy. If any government ignores them, it will certainly have to answer for that before the electorate at the election time.”— Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, Constituent Assembly
The country did not have sufficient financial resources to implement them.
Vast diversity and backwardness would stand in the way of their implementation.
Newly independent India, with its many pre-occupations, might be crushed under the burden unless it was free to decide the order, time, place and mode of fulfilling them.
So the Constitution-makers took a pragmatic view and did not give these principles ‘teeth’. They trusted an awakened public opinion, rather than court procedures, as the ultimate sanction for fulfilling them.
Rights and directions
How the two differ, and how their conflict was settled by courts and Parliament over three decades.
Fundamental Rights are justiciable while Directive Principles are not — yet Article 37 places a moral obligation on the State to implement the Directives. This has caused conflict between the two ever since the Constitution came into force.
Step 1 of 6 · 1951
A balanced evaluation
Critics call them a cheque the bank may never honour; supporters call them the conscience of the Constitution. A good answer weighs both.
Both remarks are usually credited to Sir Ivor Jennings.
How far applied in practice
From land reform and labour laws to bank nationalisation and panchayats — Parliament and the states have given effect to many Directives.
BPSC special focus
Since 1950, Bihar has passed laws and run schemes that give effect to many Directive Principles. Here is how each Directive has been applied in the state.
The government is working hard through these schemes to move forward as the Directives require, but there is still a long way to go to fully realise the dreams of the founding fathers.
The way forward: For more effective implementation, there must be more public participation in decision-making, and civil society, individuals and the media must come forward to help the government.
Exam preparation
Every question this page prepares you for, with the sections that answer it.
“A government which rests on popular vote can hardly ignore the Directive Principles while shaping its policy.”
Curated for BPSC, UPSC & State PCS Civil Services Aspirants | Indian Polity Master Module
