Article 45 — Provision for early childhood care and education to children below the age of six years

The State shall endeavour to provide early childhood care and education for all children until they complete the age of six years.

Source: Constitution of India, as published by the Ministry of Law and Justice.

The original Article 45 (1950) directed the state to provide free and compulsory education to all children up to age 14 within 10 years of the Constitution coming into force. That 10-year deadline was not met for decades. In 2002, the 86th Amendment made education a Fundamental Right (Article 21A) for children aged 6 to 14 and converted Article 45 into a DPSP for early childhood care (below age 6). The Right to Education Act 2009 implemented Article 21A. The original Article 45 was thus partly promoted to a Fundamental Right and partly retained as a DPSP for the youngest children.

• 86th Amendment (2002) — Substituted the original Article 45 (which directed free and compulsory education up to age 14) with the current text directing early childhood care for children under 6. Education for children 6-14 was simultaneously made a Fundamental Right through the insertion of Article 21A.

• Article 21A
• Article 41
• Article 51A

Last reviewed: 3 July 2026