UPSC Prelims 2015 · Question 7 of 98
UPSC Prelims 2015 question on Directive Principles Socio Economic Democracy
Consider the following statements regarding the Directive Principles of State Policy:
1. The Principles spell out the socio-economic democracy in the country.
2. The provisions contained in these Principles are not enforceable by any court.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Show answer
Answer: C. Both 1 and 2
Verdict
The answer is both 1 and 2. The Directive Principles spell out socio economic democracy and they are not enforceable by any court.
Analysis
Statement 1 is CORRECT. While the Fundamental Rights secure political democracy, the Directive Principles set out the ideal of social and economic democracy, which is the classic formulation used in the standard text. Statement 2 is CORRECT. Article 37 states that the provisions of Part IV shall not be enforceable by any court, which makes the Directives non justiciable, though it also declares them fundamental in the governance of the country and a duty of the State to apply in making laws.
Source
M. Laxmikanth, Indian Polity, page 48.
How to crack it
Hold the Fundamental Rights and the Directive Principles as a contrasting pair on four axes: political against socio economic democracy, justiciable against non justiciable, negative obligations against positive obligations, and individual against community orientation. Almost every question in this area is one axis of that contrast. Remember also that non justiciable does not mean unimportant, since Article 37 calls the Directives fundamental in governance, and that distinction is itself a favourite trap.