Article 47 — Duty of the State to raise the level of nutrition and the standard of living and to improve public health

The State shall regard the raising of the level of nutrition and the standard of living of its people and the improvement of public health as among its primary duties and, in particular, the State shall endeavour to bring about prohibition of the consumption except for medicinal purposes of intoxicating drinks and of drugs which are injurious to health.

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

Article 47 reflects both the public health concerns of the post-independence period (widespread malnutrition, epidemic disease, and poor sanitation) and the strong Gandhian influence on the DPSP. Gandhi was a committed proponent of prohibition, viewing alcohol as a major cause of poverty and domestic violence in Indian families. The prohibition direction was included as a directive, not a command, acknowledging that total prohibition is difficult to implement and has unintended consequences. States like Gujarat (since 1960), Bihar (since 2016), and Manipur have experimented with prohibition under this constitutional direction.

• Article 21
• Article 39
• Article 41

Last reviewed: 3 July 2026