The Constitution of India is not merely a document defining the institutions of governance and guaranteeing rights. It also lays down a broad vision of the socio-economic order in which the benefits of freedom reach the last person in society, social and economic justice is secured, and every citizen has the opportunity to live with dignity. Part IV of the Constitution—the Directive Principles of State Policy—is the constitutional expression of this larger welfare-vision.
The influence of Mahatma Gandhi on these principles is clearly visible, particularly in areas such as Gram Swaraj, village industries, dignity of labour, the uplift of weaker sections, prohibition and animal protection. Yet, historically, it would be inaccurate to suggest that the Directive Principles were solely the product of Gandhian thought. The Constituent Assembly deliberated extensively on social democracy, economic justice, the welfare state, social reform and constitutional experiences from across the world.
Articles 36 to 51 of the Constitution deal with the Directive Principles of State Policy. Article 37 clarifies their constitutional character: they are not enforceable by any court, yet the principles laid down in them are fundamental to the governance of the country, and it is the duty of the State to use them as a moral compass in making laws.
Article 38 directs the State to promote a social order in which social, economic and political justice informs all institutions of national life. It also calls for reducing inequalities in income, status, facilities and opportunities.
This resonates strongly with Gandhi’s conception of development, for him, the real measure of progress was the condition of the weakest member of a society. The true progress of a nation is to be judged by whether its poorest citizens were able to live with dignity and security. That question remains relevant today in the context of income inequality, the rural-urban divide, employment, education, healthcare and social security.
Articles 39 and 39A lay down several principles to be followed by the State, including adequate means of livelihood for men and women, distribution of material resources to subserve the common good, prevention of excessive concentration of wealth and means of production, equal pay for equal work, protection of workers and children from exploitation, and equal justice and free legal aid. These provisions reflect significant points of convergence with Gandhi’s emphasis on the dignity of labour, economic decentralisation and human-centred development.
Perhaps the clearest example of Gandhian influence is Article 40, which directs the State 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.
The significance of the Gandhian influence here lies in the fact that Gandhi did not view democracy as something confined to Parliament and State legislatures. For him, the roots of democracy extended to an individual in the village.
The 73rd Constitutional Amendment in 1993 gave constitutional status to Panchayati Raj institutions. In this sense, Article 40 evolved beyond being merely a Directive Principle and became an important constitutional foundation for the development of local democracy.
At a time when decentralisation, Gram Sabhas, local planning and participatory governance are receiving renewed attention, Gandhi’s idea of Gram Swaraj once again acquires contemporary relevance.
Articles 41 and 42 address the issues of right to work, social security and humane conditions at work place. These provisions can be viewed in the context of Gandhi’s ideas of Sarvodaya and the dignity of labour.
Article 43 is particularly significant from the perspective of Gandhian economic thought. It calls for promoting cottage industries and the rural economy. During the Constituent Assembly debates on November 23, 1948, Mahavir Tyagi and other members emphasised the need to promote cottage industries in rural areas.
For Gandhi, the charkha was not merely a spinning wheel. It was a powerful symbol of self-reliance and rural economic regeneration.
Articles 43A and 43B, incorporated through subsequent constitutional amendments, further promote workers’ participation in the management of industries and the democratic functioning of cooperative societies. These provisions establish a continuing dialogue with Gandhi’s emphasis on economic cooperation and decentralisation.
Article 44 directs the State to endeavour to secure a Uniform Civil Code for citizens throughout India. Article 45 provides for early childhood care and education, an area that today forms an important foundation of the country’s anganwadi and nutrition systems.
Article 46 directs the State to promote with special care the educational and economic interests of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and other weaker sections.
Gandhi’s lifelong struggle against the practice of untouchability finds an important point of resonance here. At the same time, the constitutional journey in this area also reflects the historic contributions of Dr B. R. Ambedkar and the struggles of disadvantaged communities themselves.
Article 47 directs the State to regard the raising of the level of nutrition and the standard of living and the improvement of public health as among its primary duties. It also calls upon the State to endeavour to bring about prohibition of the consumption of intoxicating drinks and drugs injurious to health, except for medicinal purposes.
The provision has an obvious ideological affinity with Gandhi’s social reform campaign for prohibition. Gandhi regarded alcohol not merely as an individual habit but as a problem affecting families and society.
Today, however, the significance of Article 47 extends beyond prohibition. Nutrition, public health and the overall standard of living are equally integral to its constitutional vision.
Article 48 directs the State to organise agriculture and animal husbandry on modern and scientific lines and, in particular, to take steps for preserving and improving breeds of cattle and other milch and draught animals and prohibiting their slaughter.
The Constituent Assembly witnessed a lengthy and emotionally charged debate on this subject on November 24, 1948. Economic, agricultural, animal-husbandry, cultural and religious perspectives were all brought into the discussion. One member, referring to Gandhi’s views, linked the question of cow slaughter with Gandhi’s broader philosophy of non-violence.
Article 48A, inserted later, assigns the State the responsibility of protecting and improving the environment and safeguarding forests and wildlife. It can be viewed alongside Gandhi’s philosophy of non-violence, restrained consumption and ethical responsibility towards nature.
Article 49 places upon the State the responsibility of protecting monuments and places or objects of national importance, while Article 50 directs the State to take steps to separate the judiciary from the executive in the public services of the State.Together, these provisions enjoin important responsibilities of the State in protecting cultural heritage and ensuring an impartial system of justice.
Article 51 directs the State to promote international peace and security; maintain just and honourable relations between nations; foster respect for international law and treaty obligations; and encourage settlement of international disputes by arbitration.
The provision has a clear philosophical affinity with Gandhi’s broader vision of non-violence and peaceful co-existence. Twenty-first-century India is vastly different from the India of Gandhi and the era of constitution-making. The economy is more complex, technology has become an integral part of everyday life, urbanisation is accelerating, and global markets increasingly influence Indian society.
Yet, Gandhi’s influence on the Indian Constitution cannot be confined to a single Article or constitutional institution. Perhaps his most enduring influence lies in the moral yardstick by which he wanted independent India’s success to be judged: the condition of the weakest and the last person.
His vision of Gram Swaraj, self-reliance, dignity of labour, social harmony, freedom from intoxicants, welfare of the vulnerable and non-violence finds echoes in several provisions of the Directive Principles. We can pay a fitting tribute to Gandhi on his birthday by adhering to the spirit of these principles.

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