Definition of the State under Part IV
Official heading: “Definition”
- Source edition
- The Constitution of India (as on 1 May 2026)
- Source locator
- Part IV, Article 36, printed page 21
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1. In One Sentence
Article 36 applies the definition of "the State" from Article 12 in Part III to all Directive Principles in Part IV, encompassing central, state, and local governments and authorities.
2. What It Means in Everyday Language
Part IV outlines guiding principles for national governance rather than directly justiciable rights. To clarify which public bodies are responsible for applying these principles, Article 36 adopts the definition of "the State" established in Article 12 of Part III.
Under this cross-reference, "the State" includes the Government and Parliament of India, the Government and Legislature of each State, and all local authorities (such as municipalities and panchayats) or other authorities within the territory of India or under the control of the Government of India.
This ensures that the moral and policy responsibilities described throughout Part IV apply across all tiers of governance and public institutions.
3. Practical Illustrative Example
A municipal corporation formulates a local sanitation or health initiative and considers whether constitutional directive principles apply to municipal bodies.
4. Important Limits, Qualifications & Exceptions
Article 36 is an interpretive provision defining the governmental bodies bound by Part IV.
- Applies the Article 12 definition across all articles in Part IV (Articles 36 to 51).
- Covers the Union, State governments, legislatures, local bodies, and statutory authorities.
- Identifies the institutions bearing governance duties without making those duties directly enforceable in court.
5. Operative Constitutional Text
6. Sources & Historical Assembly Deliberations
Assembly quotations are withheld until wording, dates, and attribution have been checked against the primary record.
- •Government of India (Legislative Department, Ministry of Law and Justice) • Part IV, Article 36, printed page 21 • Human source-link check pending
Primary PDF accessed and transcribed with AI assistance on 14 October 2026. Formatting and amendment annotation markers are omitted; operative wording is retained. This is not human legal review. Later amendments and commencement notifications have not been comprehensively checked.