Much of the conflict between the Supreme Court and the Parliament in the early days of the Constitution arose out of the former's failure to appreciate the true nature, significance, and role of the Directive Principles of State Policy. The Directive Principles specify the programme and the mechanics of the state to attain the constitutional goals set out in the Preamble. They are the mandates of the people of India to the state in making laws and the principles laid down therein, though not enforceable by any court, are fundamental in the governance of the country. To any person interested...

Much of the conflict between the Supreme Court and the Parliament in the early days of the Constitution arose out of the former's failure to appreciate the true nature, significance, and role of the Directive Principles of State Policy. The Directive Principles specify the programme and the mechanics of the state to attain the constitutional goals set out in the Preamble. They are the mandates of the people of India to the state in making laws and the principles laid down therein, though not enforceable by any court, are fundamental in the governance of the country. To any person interested in the building up of a welfare state, it is clear that the Directive Principles of State Policy are at least as fundamental as the fundamental rights and far more important from the point of view of the objectives to be attained as stated in the Preamble which is the key to the Constitution. In the words of Ambedkar, the fundamental rights make India a political democracy and the Directive Principles would make it a social and economic democracy.