Report No. 46

17. Directive principles not merely pious declarations.-

The words used by Dr. Ambedkar, when he piloted the Directive Principles in the Constituent Assembly, are significant. Dr. Ambedkar said:-

"In enacting this part (Part IV) of the Constitution, the Assembly is giving certain directions to the future legislature and the future executive to show in what manner they are to exercise the legislative and executive power they will have. Surely it is not the intention to introduce in this part these principles as mere pious declarations. It is the intention of this Assembly that in future both the legislature and the executive should not merely pay lip-service to these principles but that they should be made the basis of all legislative and executive action that they may be taking hereafter in the matter of the governance of the country."