According to the framers of the Indian Constitution, the main aim of the Fundamental Rights is to establish:

The Fundamental Rights in Part III aim to establish political democracy in India, while the Directive Principles of State Policy in Part IV aim to establish social and economic democracy.

Why rights create political democracy:

• Political democracy means that power belongs to the people and that individuals are free to take part in public life.
• Rights such as equality before law, freedom of speech, freedom of association and protection of life and liberty make this possible.
• They protect the individual against the arbitrary use of power by the State.
• They are justiciable, which means a citizen can go to court if they are violated.

The role of the Directive Principles:

• The Directive Principles aim at a welfare state.
• They ask the State to secure adequate means of livelihood, fair distribution of wealth, equal pay for equal work, free legal aid, public health and education.
• These goals relate to social and economic democracy.
• They are non-justiciable, but they are fundamental in the governance of the country.

How the two work together:

• The Supreme Court has said that the Constitution is founded on a balance between Fundamental Rights and Directive Principles.
• Political rights without economic justice can become empty for poor people, and welfare without rights can lead to authoritarian rule.

Dr. B.R. Ambedkar warned that political democracy cannot last unless social democracy lies at its base.

Nature of the Fundamental Rights:

• They are negative in character in most cases, because they put limits on the State.
• Some, such as the right to education, are positive and require the State to act.
• They are not absolute and can be subject to reasonable restrictions.

Why not the other options?

• ✗Social democracy, economic democracy and a welfare state are the aims of the Directive Principles rather than the Fundamental Rights.