Directives outside Part IV
Topic: Directive Principles and Fundamental Duties · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
Most Directive Principles sit in Part IV (Arts. 36-51), but a few directions to the State appear in other parts of the Constitution. The main ones are:
- Article 335: the claims of SCs and STs to government jobs, consistent with efficiency.
- Article 350A: teaching in the mother tongue at the primary stage, added by the 7th Amendment, 1956.
- Article 351: the development of Hindi.
Like the directives in Part IV, courts cannot enforce them. Courts do read them alongside Fundamental Rights when they interpret the law.
Example
The 82nd Amendment, 2000, added a clause to Article 335. It lets the State relax qualifying marks and standards for SCs and STs in promotions and job exams.
Don't confuse with
- Directive Principles in Part IV: they are the main list in Arts. 36-51, and Article 37 declares them "fundamental in the governance of the country". Directives outside Part IV are spread across other parts and are not part of that list, though they too cannot be enforced in court.
Related concepts
- Liberal-intellectual principles
- Early childhood care and education
- Protection of environment and wildlife
- Protection of monuments
- Separation of judiciary from executive
- Promotion of international peace and security