Directive Principles are important for economic, social and political functions in a Modern Democratic State.

Question

Given below are two statements, one is labelled as Assertion (A) and the other as Reason (R).

Assertion (A): Directive Principles are important for economic, social and political functions in a Modern Democratic State.

Reason (R): The core objective of Directive Principles is to establish economic and social democracy.

Select the correct answer from the code given below:

1. A. Both (A) and (R) are true, but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A)
2. B. (A) is false, but (R) is true
3. C. (A) is true, but (R) is false
4. D. Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A) (Correct answer)

Correct Answer

Option D — Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A)

Detailed Solution & Explanation

The correct answer is Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).

Key Points

• Assertion is true. The Directive Principles of State Policy are important for the economic, social and political functioning of a modern democratic state.
• Reason is true. Their core objective is to establish economic and social democracy — what Dr. Ambedkar described as the goal of a "welfare state" rather than a merely political democracy.
• (R) explains (A): the Directives matter precisely *because* they set that objective. Hence option (d).

Additional Information

• The Directive Principles are in Part IV (Articles 36-51) and were borrowed from the Irish Constitution, which had in turn drawn on the Spanish. They are non-justiciable under Article 37 but are declared "fundamental in the governance of the country".
• Ambedkar called them "novel features" of the Constitution, and Granville Austin described the Directives together with the Fundamental Rights as the "conscience of the Constitution".
• They are classified as Socialistic (Articles 38, 39, 41, 42, 43, 47), Gandhian (40, 43, 46, 47, 48) and Liberal-Intellectual (44, 45, 48, 49, 50, 51).
• On conflict between Fundamental Rights and Directive Principles: Champakam Dorairajan (1951) gave primacy to Fundamental Rights; the 25th Amendment inserted Article 31C; Kesavananda Bharati (1973) upheld it in part; and Minerva Mills (1980) held that a balance between the two is itself part of the basic structure.
• Articles added later: 39A (equal justice and free legal aid), 43A (workers' participation in management) and 48A (protection of environment) by the 42nd Amendment, and 43B (co-operative societies) by the 97th.