RAS question
Which of the following is NOT a Directive Principle of State Policy?
Correct answer: (C) Freedom of religion (Article 25).
Freedom of religion under Article 25 is a Fundamental Right in Part III of the Constitution, not a Directive Principle of State Policy.
Explanation
Article 25 sits under Part III, in the Right to Freedom of Religion, and guarantees freedom of conscience and the right to profess, practise and propagate religion, subject to public order, morality, health and the other provisions of that Part. Directive Principles are placed separately in Part IV, titled Directive Principles of State Policy, beginning with Article 36. The other three options are all found in that Part IV list: Article 40 on village panchayats, Article 44 on a uniform civil code for citizens, and Article 47 on public health, including prohibition of intoxicating drinks and harmful drugs. The test is therefore about constitutional placement, not the public importance of the subject.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Article 40 is in Part IV and directs the State to organise village panchayats as units of self-government, so it is a Directive Principle.
- (B) Article 44 is listed in Part IV and asks the State to endeavour to secure a uniform civil code for citizens, making it a Directive Principle.
- (D) Article 47 is in Part IV and includes the State's effort to prohibit intoxicating drinks and harmful drugs except for medicinal purposes, so it is a Directive Principle.
Concept
This tests the distinction between Fundamental Rights in Part III and Directive Principles in Part IV. RAS repeatedly asks this because close Article-number recall is essential in Polity questions on constitutional classification.