SSC CGL Polity · Fundamental Rights, DPSP and Local Governance
Directive Principles of State Policy
What the Directive Principles are and how they differ from Fundamental Rights, the Articles SSC names in Part IV, and the Uniform Civil Code of Article 44.
Why this matters
Nineteen questions in the bank: two from the 2023 shifts, 11 from the 2024 shifts and six from the 2025 shifts, 13 of them EASY. The 2024 shifts quoted a line of a Directive and asked its Article; the 2025 shifts asked about the Uniform Civil Code, which a State put into force that year.
Concept 1 of 3: What the Directive Principles are
Definition
The facts:
- Part IV, Articles 36 to 51, borrowed from Ireland. Their roots go back to the Congress's Karachi Resolution (1931).
- Article 37: no court can enforce them (they are non-justiciable), but they are fundamental in governance and morally and politically binding.
- They are positive (they ask the State to act) and aim at social and economic democracy. They serve the community, so they are called socialistic; the Fundamental Rights serve the individual.
- Ambedkar called them a novel feature of the Constitution.
- In a conflict, Fundamental Rights generally prevail.
Practice this conceptself-check · 4 quick reps
The same idea in a real exam question:
Example 1 · Fundamental Rights, DPSP and Local Governance · Directive Principles of State Policy
Non-justiciable, not unimportant
Concept 2 of 3: The Directive Articles SSC names
Definition
The Articles:
- 38: a social order for the welfare of the people.
- 39: (a) adequate livelihood; (b) ownership of material resources distributed for the common good; (c) no concentration of wealth; (d) equal pay for equal work.
- 40: organise village panchayats as units of self-government.
- 42: just and humane conditions of work, maternity relief.
- 43: a living wage, and cottage industries in rural areas.
- 44: a Uniform Civil Code.
- 46: educational and economic interests of SCs, STs and weaker sections.
- 48A: protect the environment, forests and wildlife.
- 50: separate the judiciary from the executive.
The 42nd Amendment (1976) added four: 39(f), 39A (free legal aid), 43A (workers in management) and 48A.
| Article | Directs the State to |
|---|---|
| 38 | Secure a social order for the people's welfareQ |
| 39(b) | Distribute material resources for the common goodQ |
| 40 | Organise village panchayatsQ |
| 43 | Living wage; cottage industriesQ |
| 46 | Advance SCs, STs and weaker sectionsQ |
| 48A | Protect environment, forests and wildlifeQ |
| 50 | Keep the courts apart from the executive |
Practice this conceptself-check · 4 quick reps
The same idea in a real exam question:
Example 2 · Fundamental Rights, DPSP and Local Governance · Directive Principles of State Policy
39(b) and 39(c) are neighbours
Concept 3 of 3: The Uniform Civil Code
Definition
The facts:
- Article 44, a Directive Principle, asks the State to secure a Uniform Civil Code for all citizens.
- It would replace the separate religious personal laws on marriage, divorce, inheritance and adoption. Criminal law is already uniform.
- Goa has long had a common civil code, from the Portuguese Civil Code of 1867, applying to all communities.
- Uttarakhand passed its own code in 2024 and brought it into force in January 2025, the first State to enact and implement one.
Practice this conceptself-check · 3 quick reps
The same idea in a real exam question:
Example 3 · Fundamental Rights, DPSP and Local Governance · Directive Principles of State Policy
A Directive, not a Fundamental Right
Summary — formulas & gotchas at a glance
A revision cheat-sheet for the formulas and gotchas above. Click any concept name to jump back to its full explanation.
Reference tables (3)
The Directive Articles SSC names7 rows
| Article | Directs the State to |
|---|---|
| 38 | Secure a social order for the people's welfareQ |
| 39(b) | Distribute material resources for the common goodQ |
| 40 | Organise village panchayatsQ |
| 43 | Living wage; cottage industriesQ |
| 46 | Advance SCs, STs and weaker sectionsQ |
| 48A | Protect environment, forests and wildlifeQ |
| 50 | Keep the courts apart from the executive |
The Uniform Civil Code3 rows
Watch out for (3)
- Non-justiciable, not unimportant→ What the Directive Principles are
- 39(b) and 39(c) are neighbours→ The Directive Articles SSC names
- A Directive, not a Fundamental Right→ The Uniform Civil Code
Test yourself on Fundamental Rights, DPSP and Local Governance
20 past SSC CGL questions from this chapter, timed at 12 minutes and marked the way the exam marks it. You see your score and every answer the moment you finish. Free to start.