Directive Principles And Socio-Economic Justice: The Role Of Article 39 In Shaping India’s Welfare State
- IJLLR Journal
- 6 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Shourya Shubham, Gujarat National Law University
I. INTRODUCTION
"If we wish to maintain democracy not merely in form, but also in fact, we must hold fast to constitutional methods of achieving our social and economic objectives."
-B. R. Ambedkar
India is the second most populated country and a nation with such huge population is home to a lot of social evils such as poverty, discrimination, illiteracy, increasing crime rate, etc. A large part of the population suffers and struggles for employment or a source of living due to which the crime rate in general is tremendously increasing in the country, thereby affecting the overall well-being of the country. It is a well-known thing that crime or injustice spares none and it just doesn’t happen against those who are able to fight it making the underprivileged the most severely hit. In these cases, the legal system of the country comes to the rescue by ensuring their protection from infringement of rights.
Article 39 which is also a part of the Directive Principles of State Policy that has been introduced in our country for better handling of such cases and to protect the underprivileged and impoverished from becoming the most oppressed ones who face all the wrath of such evils.1 It emphasizes that it is the State’s responsibility to take pro-active measures and flourish together as a nation where the interests of every person are taken into consideration. India is a nation with a very wide range of diversity and turbulent history of societal oppression of certain classes; hence, it becomes state’s responsibility to help them get back on the same page.
Directive Principles of State Policy occupy an essential position in constitutional governance which serves as the foundational framework within which all government policies must be developed.2 These principles act as the cornerstone for policy establishment, thereby, guiding legislative action toward broader societal goals. While public discourse often focuses intensely on fundamental rights and federal structures, the Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSP) frequently receive insufficient attention despite their profound importance.3 The inclusion of Directive Principles in our Constitution offers hope to marginalized and economically disadvantaged communities and embody the potential to transform our current social inequities into a more just society where principles of fairness, equality, and equity are recognized.
