Article 47 is a provision within the Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSP), located in Part IV of the Constitution of India. It is a concept that outlines the moral obligations of the State, though it is not legally enforceable by any court.
The article was initially drafted as Article 38 in 1948 during the Constituent Assembly debates, created to address the high mortality rates and poor living conditions prevalent in post-independence India. It reflects the aspirational goal of a welfare state committed to public well-being.
Article 47 imposes a twofold duty on the State: first, to regard the raising of the level of nutrition and the standard of living of its people and the improvement of public health as among its primary duties. Second, it directs the State to endeavor to bring about the prohibition of the consumption of intoxicating drinks and of drugs which are injurious to health, except for medicinal purposes. This prohibition clause is rooted in the Gandhian Principle within the DPSP.
This provision connects to other legislation, such as the National Food Security Act, 2013, which aims to enhance nutritional intake, and the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, which regulates harmful substances. Furthermore, it serves as the constitutional basis for State Prohibition Laws, such as the Bihar Liquor Ban (2016). The Supreme Court has interpreted its scope in cases like Vincent Panikurlangara v. Union of India (1987). The core text of Article 47 has not been recently amended, but its principles continue to guide policy-making.