Skip to main content

Fundamental Rights vs. Directive Principles: Key Differences

 The Indian Constitution balances individual freedoms and societal welfare through Fundamental Rights (FRs) and Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSPs). While both aim to establish justice, they differ significantly in enforceability, purpose, and scope.

This comparison covers:

✔ Definitions & Constitutional Status
✔ 6 Key Differences (Enforceability, Amendments, etc.)
✔ Conflicts & Landmark Judgments
✔ Why Both Are Essential

๐Ÿ” Definitions

AspectFundamental Rights (Part III)Directive Principles (Part IV)
NatureJusticiable (enforceable in court)Non-justiciable (guidelines)
PurposeProtect individual libertyPromote social & economic democracy
Articles12-3536-51
ExamplesRight to Equality (Art. 14-18), Right to Freedom (Art. 19-22)Equal pay for equal work (Art. 39), Free education (Art. 45)

⚖️ 6 Key Differences

1. Enforceability

  • FRs: Courts can punish violations (e.g., PILs for rights enforcement).
  • DPSPs: Not legally enforceable (e.g., no case can be filed for not implementing Uniform Civil Code).

2. Purpose

  • FRs: Shield citizens from state oppression (negative obligations).
  • DPSPs: Direct the state to create welfare policies (positive obligations).

3. Amendments

  • FRs: Can be amended but not diluted (Basic Structure Doctrine).
  • DPSPs: Can be freely amended (e.g., 42nd Amendment added new principles).

4. Suspension

  • FRs: Some rights (Art. 19) suspended during emergencies.
  • DPSPs: Remain operational always.

5. Conflict Resolution

  • FRs prevail over DPSPs (Minerva Mills Case, 1980).
  • Exception: Art. 31C allows DPSPs under Art. 39(b)-(c) to override FRs if Parliament approves.

6. Scope

  • FRs: Apply to citizens & in some cases, foreigners.
  • DPSPs: Apply to the state only.

๐Ÿ“œ Landmark Judgments

1. Golaknath Case (1967)

  • Held that Parliament cannot amend FRs.
  • Overruled by Kesavananda Bharati Case (1973), which introduced the Basic Structure Doctrine.

2. Minerva Mills Case (1980)

  • Struck down Art. 31C as unconstitutional for giving DPSPs absolute priority over FRs.
  • Established that FRs & DPSPs are complementary.

3. Unnikrishnan Case (1993)

  • Read Right to Education (Art. 21A) into FRs from DPSP (Art. 45).

๐Ÿ”„ How FRs & DPSPs Complement Each Other

FRsDPSPsResult
Art. 21 (Right to Life)Art. 39 (Health & Livelihood)Right to Health recognized (Paschim Banga Khet Mazdoor Samity Case)
Art. 14 (Equality)Art. 44 (Uniform Civil Code)Debate on gender-just laws (Triple Talaq Case)

❓ FAQs

Q1. Can DPSPs ever override FRs?

Only under Art. 31C for policies under Art. 39(b)-(c) (e.g., redistribution of resources).

Q2. Why were DPSPs made non-justiciable?

To allow flexibility in policy-making based on economic capacity (e.g., free education took until 2009 to implement via RTE Act).

Q3. Which amendments impacted FRs & DPSPs?

  • 42nd Amendment (1976): Gave DPSPs primacy over FRs (struck down later).
  • 44th Amendment (1978): Restored FRs’ supremacy.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Error Detection Rules in English Grammar Explain In Simple Way

เคฏเคนाँ เค†เคชเค•ो Error Detection Rules in English Grammar เค•ी เคเค• เค†เคธाเคจ เค”เคฐ students-friendly เคฒिเคธ्เคŸ เคฎिเคฒ เคœाเคเค—ी, เคœो competitive exams (SSC, Banking, Railway, Defence, etc.) เคฎें เคฌเคนुเคค เค•ाเคฎ เค†เคคी เคนै । Error Detection Rules in English Grammar (For Competitive Exams) Error detection เคฎें เค†เคชเค•ो เคเค• sentence เคฆिเคฏा เคœाเคคा เคนै, เค”เคฐ เค†เคชเค•ो เค‰เคธเคฎें grammar เค•ी เค—เคฒเคคी เคขूँเคขเค•เคฐ เคธเคนी เค•เคฐเคจा เคนोเคคा เคนै। เค‡เคธเคฎें เคœ़्เคฏाเคฆाเคคเคฐ เค—เคฒเคคी subject-verb agreement, tense, article, preposition, pronoun, adjective, adverb, conjunction เค†เคฆि เคฎें เคนोเคคी เคนै। 1. Subject-Verb Agreement Rule Singular subject → singular verb Plural subject → plural verb ✅ Example: He goes to school. (not go ) ❌ Wrong: The boys plays cricket. ✅ Correct: The boys play cricket. 2. Tense Consistency Rule เคเค• sentence เคฎें tense เค•ा form เคเค• เคœैเคธा เคนोเคจा เคšाเคนिเค। ❌ Wrong: He was going to market and buys some fruits. ✅ Correct: He was going to market and bought some fruits. 3. Article Usage Rule (a, an, the) 'a' → consonant sound เคธे เคชเคนเคฒे 'an' → vowel sound...
Post a Comment
Read more

Newton’s Laws of Motion: Explained with Real-Life Examples

  Sir Isaac Newton's   Three Laws of Motion   (published in 1687) revolutionized physics by explaining how objects move. These laws govern everything from   falling apples to rocket launches —making them essential for   science students, competitive exams (JEE, NEET, SSC), and everyday understanding . This guide covers: ✔  Newton’s 3 Laws  (Simple Definitions + Formulas) ✔  Real-Life Examples  (Sports, Vehicles, Space) ✔  Common Misconceptions ✔  Practice Questions By the end, you'll see how these 300-year-old laws apply to your daily life! ๐Ÿ“œ Newton’s Three Laws of Motion Law Statement Formula First Law (Inertia) An object remains at rest/moves at constant velocity unless acted upon by a net force. *F_net = 0 ⇒ a = 0* Second Law (F=ma) Force equals mass times acceleration. F = m × a Third Law (Action-Reaction) For every action, there’s an equal and opposite reaction. F₁₂ = −F₂₁ ๐Ÿš€ Law-wise Explanation + Examples 1. First Law (Law o...
Post a Comment
Read more