Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSP) MCQ & Notes — Articles 36-51 for UPSC, SSC

Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSP) MCQ & Notes — Articles 36-51 for UPSC, SSC

The Directive Principles of State Policy (Part IV of the Constitution, Articles 36–51) are one of the most consistently tested blocks of Indian Polity across UPSC Prelims, SSC CGL, SSC CHSL, State PSC and judiciary exams. This guide covers what DPSPs are, how they are broadly classified, the key amendments and Supreme Court cases that shaped their relationship with Fundamental Rights, and an article-wise quick reference — followed by 10 practice MCQs with answers.

Why This Topic Matters for Competitive Exams

DPSPs are frequently tested alongside Fundamental Rights because exams love to contrast the two — "justiciable vs non-justiciable", "Part III vs Part IV". Questions also target specific articles (Article 40 on panchayats, Article 44 on Uniform Civil Code, Article 48A on environment) and the landmark cases that decided how much weight DPSPs carry against Fundamental Rights.

What Are Directive Principles of State Policy?

DPSPs are guidelines contained in Part IV (Articles 36–51) of the Constitution of India, directing the State to secure a social order for the promotion of the welfare of the people. They are borrowed from the Irish Constitution, which itself had adapted the idea from the Spanish Constitution. Unlike Fundamental Rights, DPSPs are non-justiciable — Article 37 expressly states that they shall not be enforceable by any court, but they are nevertheless "fundamental in the governance of the country" and it is the duty of the State to apply them while making laws.

Broad Classification of DPSPs

Scholars and standard UPSC references commonly group the Directive Principles into three broad categories (this classification is not found verbatim in the Constitution itself, but is widely used for study):

Category	What it covers	Examples
Socialistic principles	Aim at social and economic justice, welfare state	Article 38 (welfare state, reduce inequality), Article 39 (equal pay for equal work, avoid concentration of wealth), Article 41 (right to work, education)
Gandhian principles	Reflect Gandhian ideology and the Freedom Movement	Article 40 (village panchayats), Article 46 (SC/ST and weaker sections), Article 47 (prohibition of intoxicating drinks), Article 48 (agriculture and animal husbandry)
Liberal-intellectual principles	Liberal ideals not covered under Fundamental Rights	Article 44 (Uniform Civil Code), Article 45 (early childhood care and education), Article 48A (environment), Article 50 (separation of judiciary from executive)

Article-wise Quick Reference

• Article 36 — Defines "the State" for Part IV, same meaning as in Article 12.
• Article 37 — DPSPs are not enforceable by any court but are fundamental in governance.
• Article 38 — State to secure a social order for promotion of welfare of the people and to minimise income inequality.
• Article 39 — Certain principles of policy: equal pay for equal work, equitable distribution of material resources, prevention of concentration of wealth.
• Article 39A — Equal justice and free legal aid (inserted by the 42nd Amendment Act, 1976).
• Article 40 — Organisation of village panchayats as units of self-government.
• Article 41 — Right to work, to education and to public assistance in cases of unemployment, old age, sickness and disablement.
• Article 43 — Living wage and decent conditions of work for workers.
• Article 43A — Participation of workers in management of industries (42nd Amendment, 1976).
• Article 43B — Promotion of cooperative societies (97th Amendment Act, 2011).
• Article 44 — State to endeavour to secure a Uniform Civil Code for citizens.
• Article 45 — Provision for early childhood care and education for children below the age of six.
• Article 46 — Promotion of education and economic interests of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and other weaker sections.
• Article 47 — Duty of the State to raise the level of nutrition and standard of living and to improve public health.
• Article 48 — Organisation of agriculture and animal husbandry on modern, scientific lines.
• Article 48A — Protection and improvement of environment and safeguarding of forests and wildlife (42nd Amendment, 1976).
• Article 49 — Protection of monuments and places of national importance.
• Article 50 — Separation of judiciary from the executive in public services.
• Article 51 — Promotion of international peace and security.

Key Amendments and Case Laws

• 42nd Amendment Act, 1976 inserted Articles 39A, 43A and 48A, and also amended Article 31C to give certain DPSPs primacy over Fundamental Rights under Articles 14 and 19.
• Minerva Mills v. Union of India (1980): The Supreme Court struck down the part of the 42nd Amendment that gave all Directive Principles blanket primacy over Fundamental Rights, holding that a harmonious balance between Part III and Part IV is part of the Constitution's basic structure.
• 97th Amendment Act, 2011 inserted Article 43B on the promotion of cooperative societies.
• 86th Amendment Act, 2002 revised Article 45 to focus on early childhood care for children below six, after the right to education for ages 6–14 was made a Fundamental Right under the new Article 21A.

DPSP MCQ — Practice Questions

Q1. Directive Principles of State Policy are contained in which Part of the Constitution?
A. Part III B. Part IV C. Part IVA D. Part V
Answer: B. Part IV

Q2. The concept of DPSP was borrowed from the Constitution of which country?
A. USA B. UK C. Ireland D. Canada
Answer: C. Ireland

Q3. Which Article states that DPSPs shall not be enforceable by any court?
A. Article 36 B. Article 37 C. Article 38 D. Article 39
Answer: B. Article 37

Q4. Equal justice and free legal aid is provided under which Article?
A. Article 39 B. Article 39A C. Article 40 D. Article 41
Answer: B. Article 39A

Q5. Organisation of village panchayats is dealt with under which Article?
A. Article 40 B. Article 44 C. Article 46 D. Article 48**
Answer: A. Article 40

Q6. The Uniform Civil Code is provided for under which Article?
A. Article 42 B. Article 44 C. Article 46 D. Article 48
Answer: B. Article 44

Q7. Article 48A deals with which subject?
A. Agriculture and animal husbandry B. Protection of monuments C. Protection and improvement of environment and wildlife D. Separation of judiciary from executive
Answer: C. Protection and improvement of environment and wildlife

Q8. Articles 39A and 48A were inserted by which amendment?
A. 44th Amendment B. 42nd Amendment C. 86th Amendment D. 97th Amendment
Answer: B. 42nd Amendment, 1976

Q9. In which case did the Supreme Court strike down the blanket primacy given to all DPSPs over Fundamental Rights?
A. Kesavananda Bharati case B. Golaknath case C. Minerva Mills case D. Champakam Dorairajan case
Answer: C. Minerva Mills v. Union of India (1980)

Q10. Promotion of cooperative societies under Article 43B was added by which amendment?
A. 42nd Amendment B. 86th Amendment C. 97th Amendment D. 73rd Amendment
Answer: C. 97th Amendment Act, 2011

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Are Directive Principles of State Policy legally enforceable in courts?
No. Article 37 clearly states that DPSPs are not enforceable by any court, but they are fundamental in the governance of the country and the State must apply them while making laws.

Q. What is the difference between DPSP and Fundamental Rights?
Fundamental Rights (Part III) are justiciable and enforceable in courts, while Directive Principles (Part IV) are non-justiciable guidelines that the State is expected to follow while framing policy. The Supreme Court has held that a harmonious balance between the two forms part of the Constitution's basic structure.

Practice More on Indian Polity

Test your understanding with the free Directive Principles quiz on FreePrep, and read the Fundamental Rights MCQ and Preamble MCQ for more Polity practice. You can also attempt today's free daily quiz.