Constitution of India · Part IV: Directive Principles of State Policy
Article 37: Application of the principles contained in this Part
In plain words
The Directive Principles in this Part cannot be enforced by any court. But they are fundamental to the governance of the country, and the State has a duty to apply them in making laws.
A simplified explanation, prepared with AI assistance from the official text below and checked automatically against it for numbers and cross-references. The official text is the law and prevails over this summary. Not legal advice.
Official text
The provisions contained in this Part shall not be enforceable by any court, but the principles therein laid down are nevertheless fundamental in the governance of the country and it shall be the duty of the State to apply these principles in making laws.
Source: India Code (Legislative Department), the official text of the Constitution of India. As amended up to the Constitution (One Hundred and Sixth Amendment) Act, 2023. Text as on 10 September 2026. Words in square brackets [ ] were inserted or substituted by later amending Acts, and *** marks words omitted by an amendment. The amendment footnotes are not reproduced here. Official text on India Code.
Supreme Court judgments citing the article 37
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IN RE: ZUDPI JUNGLE LANDS versus
Issue pertains to the status of Zudpi Jungle or Zudpi Forest in the six districts of State of Maharashtra; and whether the recommendations made by the CEC in its 2025 Report should be accepted or not.
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involved and in I.R. Coelho v. State of T.N. [(1999) 7
(1) Whether Article 31C (as upheld in Kesavananda Bharati case) survives in the Constitution after amendment to the provision by the forty-second amendment was struck down by the Supreme Court in Minerva Mills case; and…
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The State of Punjab & Ors. v. Davinder Singh & Ors.
The Supreme Court was required to adjudicate upon whether the sub-classification of Scheduled Castes for the purpose of providing affirmative action, including reservation is valid. In this context, the following issues…
- In Re: Article 370 of the Constitution v. .
- Janhit Abhiyan v. Union of India
- Madras Bar Association v. Union of India and Anr.
- Justice K. S. Puttaswamy (Retd.) v. Union of India & Ors.
- Lanco Anpara Power Limited v. State of Uttar Pradesh & Ors.
- State of Kerala & Ors. v. B. Surendra Das Etc
- N.K. Bajpai v. Union of India and Anr.
- Employees Provident Fund Commissioner v. O.L. of Esskay Pharmaceuticals Limited
- Narmada Bachao Andolan v. State of Madhya Pradesh
- Narmada Bachao Andolan v. State of Madhya Pradesh & Anr.
- Revanasiddappa and Anr. v. Mallikarjun and Ors.
- Government of Andhra Pradesh & Ors. v. Smt. P. Laxmi Devi
- Delhi Development Authority, N.D. & Anr. v. Joint Action Committee, Allottee of Sfs Flats & Ors.
- National Council for Civil Liberties v. Union of India and Ors.
- U.P Gram Panchayat Adhikari Sangh and Ors. v. Daya Ram Saroj and Ors.
- Indian Drugs and Pharmaceuticals Ltd. v. Workman, Indian Drugs and Pharmaceuticals Ltd.
- Daulat Singh Surana and Ors. v. First Land Acquisition Collector and Ors.
- State of Gujarat v. Mirzapur Moti Kureshi Kassab Jamat and Ors.
- Associate Banks Officers Association v. State Bank of India and Ors.
- Air India Statutory Corporation v. United Labour Union and Ors.
- State of Madhya Pradesh and Anr. v. Pramod Bhartiya and Ors.
- N.K. Jain and Others v. C.K. Shah and Others
- B. Krishna Bhat v. Union of India and Ors.
- The Dharwad Distt. P.W.D. Literate Daily Wages Employees Association & Ors. Etc. v. State of Karnataka & Ors. Etc.