Directive Principles of State Policy
Exercise
A. Fill in the blanks.
1. A welfare state ensures equal distribution of wealth among the citizens.
2. Directive Principles of State Policy establish social and economic democracy.
3. Directive Principles are non-justiciable, and cannot be enforced by the courts of law.
4. Mahatma Gandhi's principles promote upliftment of most deprived classes of people.
5. Some ideas of Gandhi were also incorporated in the Directive Principles.
B. Name the following.
1. A state which provides equal rights and opportunities to everyone.
= Welfare State;
2. Positive directives for the governments to do certain things for welfare of people.
= Directive Principles;
3. A scheme launched by the government to provide living wages.
= Swarnajayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojna;
4. Act that distributes lands to poor farmers.
= Land Reform Acts;
5. Act which provide equal pay for equal work.
= Equal Remuneration Act;
C. Choose the correct answer.
1. Directive Principles of State Policy was inspired by the __________ .
a. Constitution of England. [ ]
b. Constitution of Ireland. [✓]
c. Constitution of America. [ ]
d. Constitution of Australia. [ ]
2. The Gandhian principles encourage ________ industries.
a. small-scale and cottage. [✓]
b. manufacturing. [ ]
c. large scale. [ ]
d. small-scale and medium scale. [ ]
3. The government should pay _______ wages to workers so that they can afford basic provisions.
a. cash. [ ]
b. piece. [ ]
c. living. [✓]
d. time. [ ]
4. The government provides free and compulsory education to all children up to _______ years of age.
a. 10. [ ]
b. 12. [ ]
c. 14. [✓]
d. 15. [ ]
5. ________ are the negative directives that prohibit governments from doing certain things.
a. Directive Principles of State Policy. [ ]
b. Civil Laws. [ ]
c. Legal and Social Laws. [ ]
d. Fundamental Rights. [✓]
D. Answer the following questions in brief.
1. What is a welfare state?
= A country is defined as a welfare state when it protects rights of its citizens, and provides equal opportunities and equal share of wealth.
2. What are the 'Directive Principles of State Policy'?
= Directive Principles of State Policy are guidelines or directives for the governments - central, state and local - to follow while planning the welfare policies for the citizens.
3. Why were the principles to promote social and economic equality included in the constitution?
= Indian society has many social and economic inequalities, such as discrimination based on caste, class and religion, denial of the necessities due to poor economic conditions, and unemployment. To overcome these inequalities, the Constitution of India has laid down certain directives or principles to promote social and economic equality among its citizens.
4. State the purpose of Fundamental Rights and Directive Principles of State Policy.
= Fundamental Rights and Directive Principles of State Policy both serve a common purpose - to safeguard the rights of the citizens. However, there are some major differences between Fundamental Rights and Directive Principles.
5. How does the government implement Directive Principles?
= The Government of India has adopted many welfare measures for implementation of Directives Principles of State Policy.
E. Answer the following questions in Detail.
1. Distinguish between Fundamental Rights and Directive Principles of State Policy.
=
|
Fundamental Rights |
Directive Principles of State Policy |
|---|---|
|
Fundamental Rights are the negative directives that prohibit
governments from doing certain things. |
Directive Principles of State Policy are the positive directives for
the governments to do certain things. |
|
Fundamental Rights are justiciable. They are enforceable by the
courts. People can go to the courts if their Fundamental Rights are violated. |
Directive Principles are non-justiciable. They are not enforceable by
any court and it is not mandatory for the government to follow these
principles. |
|
Fundamental Rights strive to establish political democracy. |
Directive Principles seek to establish economic and social democracy. |
2. State the Directive Principles promoting social and economic equality.
= The Directive Principles promoting social and economic equality are -
❐ Safeguard the fundamental rights of the citizens and prevent violation of rights.
❐ Ensure a fair and equal distribution of the economic resources and wealth of the country.
❐ Ensure equal wages for equal work for men and women.
❐ Pay workers a living wage so that they can buy basic provisions.
❐ Generate employment opportunities for men and women to prevent unemployment in the country.
❐ Provide support to senior citizens, people with special needs, and unemployed.
❐ Provide basic amenities to to maintain a decent standard of living and leisure.
❐ Provide security to children and youth against the exploitation.
3. List the Directive Principles inspired by the Gandhian philosophies.
= Some Gandhian principles incorporated in the Directive Principles are -
❐ Impart free and compulsory education to all children up to 14 years of age.
❐ Establish village panchayat system in rural areas.
❐ Encourage all types of small-scale and cottage industries.
❐ Promote the interests of underprivileged classes especially Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
❐ Prohibit consumption of liquor and drugs.
❐ Improve nutrition and overall health of the people by providing quality food.
❐ Improve agricultural techniques and promote animal husbandry.
4. What are the measures taken by the government to implement Directive Principles?
= The Government of India has adopted many welfare measures for implementation of Directive Principles of State Policy.
❐ Under the Right to Free and Compulsory Education Act, the government made Right to Education a Fundamental Right. It provides free and compulsory education to all children up to 14 years of age, without any discrimination.
❐ To provide living wages to every worker and enhance the standard of living in rural areas, the Government of India has launched the Swarnajayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojna and Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act. These acts create employment opportunities in rural areas.
❐ The Panchayati Raj system is prevalent in almost every village in India.
❐ A certain number of seats are reserved for citizens belonging to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in Parliament and Legislative Assemblies.
❐ Scholarship and free coaching are provided to students belonging to the economically backward class, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
❐ Land Reform Acts passes by the central and the state governments distributes lands to poor farmers.
❐ The government undertakes various schemes and programmes to conserve the environment.
❐ The Equal Remuneration Act provides equal pay for equal work for men and women.
5. What is the importance of Directive Principles of State Policy?
= The importance of Directive Principles of State Policy are -
❐ The Directive Principles clearly lay down the philosophical foundations of a welfare state. They make the State responsible for securing it through welfare policies.
❐ They are the guidelines which should inform all government policies and programmes.
❐ They serve as a yardstick to measure the performance of the government.
❐ They enhance democracy in the country by promoting social and economic democracy, without which political democracy is incomplete.
❐ The Directive Principles are a source of continuity in the policies of the government. In a democracy system, where governments change after regular intervals, Directive Principles ensures that every government will exercise its power for implementing Directive Principles.
❐ The Directive Principles constitute a manifesto of the aims and goals of the nation. They reflect the vision and views of the framers of the constitution. These reflect the philosophy of the Constitution and hence provide useful help to the courts in their task of interpreting the Constitution.
Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan:
Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan is a flagship educational programme of the Government of India that provides compulsory primary education to all the children in India. This programme is conducted in collaboration with the state governments to cover each child of each state under the programme.
The Government aims to open schools in the remote areas and increase the literacy rate of the country. It provides free provisions, such as uniforms, books, shoes, bags, mid-day meals, etc. to the government-run schools, to promote education among the poor children.