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Constitution of India · Part IV: Directive Principles of State Policy

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

In plain words

Raising nutrition levels and the standard of living, and improving public health, are among the State's primary duties. In particular, it must try to prohibit the consumption of intoxicating drinks and harmful drugs, except for medicinal purposes.

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 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: 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 47