The Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSP) are a concept and a set of guidelines enshrined in Part IV of the Constitution of India, covering Articles 36 to 51. The concept was borrowed from the Irish Constitution and was included to address the pervasive problems of poverty and socio-economic inequality in newly independent India. The DPSP were created to establish a Welfare State and achieve social and economic democracy, complementing the political democracy established by the Fundamental Rights.
The DPSP function as fundamental principles for the governance of the country, making it the duty of the State to apply them in making laws, as stated in Article 37. However, unlike Fundamental Rights, the DPSP are non-justiciable, meaning they are not enforceable by any court. Key provisions include Article 38, which directs the State to secure a social order for the promotion of the welfare of the people by minimizing inequalities in income, status, facilities, and opportunities. Other principles include securing the right to an adequate means of livelihood (Article 39) and organizing village panchayats (Article 40).
The DPSP are intrinsically connected to the Fundamental Rights (Part III), with the Supreme Court in Minerva Mills v. Union of India (1980) emphasizing that the Constitution is founded on the bedrock of the balance between the two. Significant amendments have modified the DPSP: the 42nd Amendment Act, 1976, added new directives like Article 39A (free legal aid) and Article 48A (protection of environment). The 86th Amendment Act of 2002 changed the subject matter of Article 45 and made elementary education a Fundamental Right under Article 21A. The 97th Amendment Act of 2011 added Article 43B, relating to the promotion of cooperative societies. While the specific articles have been added or amended, the core nature of the DPSP as non-justiciable, guiding principles for a welfare state has remained the same.