Theme 2: Directive Principles of State Policy

Class 8 Civics | Easy & Simple Answers | All Exercises

1. Get Ready & Welfare State

Q1. Name some welfare rulers?
Ans: Ashoka, Chandragupta Maurya, Akbar, Chhatrapati Shivaji.

Q2. Welfare measures?
Ans: They built hospitals, schools, roads, gave justice, protected farmers and helped poor.

What is Welfare State?
A government that looks after economic and social well-being of all citizens, especially poor, old, women and marginalized groups.

2. What are Directive Principles (DPSP)?

They are guidelines in Part IV of Constitution for government to make India fair and just. They are not laws - you cannot go to court for them. They give vision of a welfare state.

  • Economic Principles: Reduce income inequality, stop concentration of wealth, right to livelihood, equal pay for equal work, protect workers and children, right to work & education, maternity relief, living wages.
  • Gandhian Principles: Village panchayats, free education till 14 years, promote cottage industries, help SC/ST, improve health, improve agriculture, ban cow slaughter, ban intoxicating drinks.
  • General Principles: Free legal aid, Uniform Civil Code, protect environment & forests, protect monuments, separate judiciary from executive, promote world peace.

3. Fill in the Blanks (Page 175)

  1. In a welfare state, the government ensures economic and social well-being of its citizens.
  2. Directive Principles are guidelines for the government to establish a just and fair society.
  3. Directive Principles instruct the state to protect the children, and the youth against exploitation.
  4. Protecting the environment falls under the category of General Principles.
  5. The Gandhian Principles focus on development of cottage industries.

4. Match The Following (Page 177)

Column AColumn B
a) Fundamental RightsPart III of Constitution
b) Directive PrinciplesPart IV of Constitution
c) Public Distribution Systemfood grains
d) Mid-day Meal SchemePM Poshan
e) National Green Tribunalenvironmental conservation

5. Mid-day Meal Scheme - Case Study

a) Two aims?
1. Improve nutrition of school children.
2. Make children attend school regularly.

b) Achievements?
- More students in govt. schools, less dropout of poor and girls, better health & education, parents help in cooking, now renamed as PM Poshan (2021) for better nutrition.

6. Picture Study - Equal Work Equal Pay

a) Category? Principles promoting economic equality.
b) Marginalised group? Women.
c) Why marginalised? Women were paid less than men for same work and got fewer opportunities.
d) Two other marginalised groups? Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST).

7. Difference: Fundamental Rights vs DPSP

Fundamental RightsDirective Principles
Part III, Justiciable - can go to courtPart IV, Non-justiciable - cannot go to court
Protect individual rightsPromote welfare of whole society

Common Aim: Both protect interests of society and poor from encroachment.

Fact File: DPSP are inspired by Irish Constitution and Gandhian philosophy of self-sufficient villages.
Chapter 2 - Directive Principles of State Policy | Easy Notes