DPSP & Fundamental Duties — Set 16

Correct Answer: C. Article 39(b)

Article 39(b) directs the State to ensure that the ownership and control of the material resources of the community are distributed as best to subserve the common good, reflecting the socialist principle of equitable distribution based on common welfare. The Marxist principle 'from each according to ability, to each according to needs' influenced India's socialist DPSPs. While India's Constitution embraces democratic socialism (not communist), Articles 38, 39, 41, 43 together form a framework for a welfare state.

Correct Answer: A. Article 21 (Right to life) and Article 48A (DPSP on environment)

The National Green Tribunal Act, 2010 which established the NGT draws its constitutional mandate from both Article 21 (Right to a clean environment as part of Right to Life, as established in M.C. Mehta cases) and Article 48A (DPSP directing the State to protect and improve the environment). The Supreme Court in various judgments has read Article 48A together with Article 51A(g) (Fundamental Duty to protect environment) to give constitutional backing to environmental protection measures.

Correct Answer: C. Article 41

MGNREGA, 2005 primarily gives effect to Article 41 which directs the State to secure 'the right to work' within the limits of economic capacity. MGNREGA guarantees 100 days of wage employment in a financial year to every rural household whose adult members volunteer to do unskilled manual work. It is the world's largest employment guarantee scheme. The scheme is funded primarily by the Central Government. It also partially implements Article 43 (living wage for workers) and Article 39(a) (adequate means of livelihood).

Correct Answer: B. Article 38

Article 38 directs the State to strive to promote the welfare of the people by securing and protecting as effectively as it may a social order in which justice — social, economic, and political — shall inform all the institutions of the national life. The 44th Amendment (1978) added a second clause to Article 38 directing the State to minimize inequalities in income and status, facilities, and opportunities not only among individuals but also among groups of people. This is the overarching DPSP.

Correct Answer: C. 51A(e)

Article 51A(e) mandates citizens to promote harmony and the spirit of common brotherhood amongst all the people of India transcending religious, linguistic, and regional or sectional diversities. Article 51A(f) mandates citizens to value and preserve the rich heritage of India's composite culture. The distinction is that 51A(e) is about promoting unity/brotherhood while 51A(f) is specifically about preserving cultural heritage. Both are Gandhian values of cultural pluralism and national integration.

Correct Answer: B. Article 51A(d)

Article 51A(d) states that it shall be the duty of every citizen to defend the country and render national service when called upon to do so. This duty relates to national defense and service to the nation in times of need. It is the constitutional basis for compulsory military service provisions and national service programs. This duty complements the duty to uphold sovereignty (51A(c)) and together they form the foundation of national security duties of citizens.

Correct Answer: C. Article 39

Article 39(a) directs the State to ensure that the citizens, men and women equally, have the right to an adequate means of livelihood. This is the first of several sub-clauses in Article 39. It is an expansion of the Right to Life under Article 21 — adequate livelihood is essential for dignified life. MGNREGA, social protection schemes, and minimum wage laws are all efforts to implement this DPSP. The phrase 'equally' for men and women also reflects the gender equality commitment.

Correct Answer: C. Article 48A

Article 48A (inserted by the 42nd Amendment, 1976) directs the State to endeavour to protect and improve the environment and to safeguard the forests and wildlife of the country. This DPSP is the constitutional basis for the Environment Protection Act, 1986, the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, the Forest Conservation Act, 1980, and various other environmental laws. The National Environment Policy draws from this article. Article 48A works in tandem with the Fundamental Duty under Article 51A(g).

Correct Answer: C. Article 51A(i)

Article 51A(e) directs citizens to promote harmony and the spirit of common brotherhood amongst all the people of India transcending religious, linguistic and regional or sectional diversities; and to renounce practices derogatory to the dignity of women. The second part of 51A(e) — renouncing practices derogatory to women's dignity — is a constitutional mandate against customs, traditions, and social practices that demean women, such as dowry demands, female infanticide, and gender-based discrimination. Understanding this constitutional provision is essential for competitive examinations and civic awareness.

Correct Answer: C. Article 40

The Balwant Rai Mehta Committee (1957) recommended a three-tier Panchayati Raj system consisting of Gram Panchayat (village level), Panchayat Samiti (block level), and Zila Parishad (district level) to give effect to Article 40 (DPSP on village panchayats). The committee's recommendations were first implemented in Rajasthan on October 2, 1959 (Gandhi Jayanti). This was the first systematic effort to implement Article 40. The 73rd Amendment (1992) eventually gave constitutional status to Panchayati Raj.