Article 47

Nutrition, Public Health, and Prohibition of Intoxicating Drinks

Official heading: “Duty of the State to raise the level of nutrition and the standard of living and to improve public health”

Check this article against the official editionAwaiting human legal review

Source edition: The Constitution of India (as on 1 May 2026)
Source locator: Part IV, Article 47, printed page 23
Last human source-link check: Not yet checked
Last human legal review: Not yet reviewed

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1. In One Sentence

Article 47 mandates raising the level of nutrition, the standard of living, and public health as primary state duties, and directs the State to endeavor to prohibit intoxicating drinks and injurious drugs.

2. What It Means in Everyday Language

Article 47 emphasizes public health as a primary duty of democratic government. It directs the State to focus on improving nutritional levels, living standards, and the public healthcare infrastructure.

Additionally, the second part of Article 47 directs the State to endeavor to bring about the prohibition of the consumption (except for medicinal purposes) of intoxicating drinks and of drugs injurious to health.

This directive forms the constitutional foundation for national health missions, food security and midday meal programs, statutory pharmaceutical controls, and state-level alcohol prohibition laws.

3. Practical Illustrative Example

Everyday Scenario:

A state government enacts a liquor prohibition law restricting retail sale and public consumption of alcoholic beverages.

Core takeaway: Article 47 explicitly empowers and directs the State to endeavor to bring about prohibition of intoxicating drinks, supporting the constitutional validity of such legislation.

Illustrative Notice: Courts have held that there is no fundamental right under Article 19(1)(g) to trade in intoxicating liquors, because liquor is considered res extra commercium under Article 47.

4. Important Limits, Qualifications & Exceptions

Article 47 establishes public health and nutrition as primary governmental duties.

Identifies nutrition, standard of living, and public health as "among its primary duties".
Authorizes state-level prohibition of intoxicating liquors and narcotics.
Informs judicial interpretation of the right to health under the Article 21 right to life.

5. Operative Constitutional 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.

Transcription for reference; compare with the linked official editionNot yet verified by a human legal reviewer

6. Sources & Historical Assembly Deliberations

Assembly quotations are withheld until wording, dates, and attribution have been checked against the primary record.

Sources & Citation Metadata

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Constitutional TextThe Constitution of India (as on 1 May 2026)Cited PDF page
Government of India (Legislative Department, Ministry of Law and Justice) • Part IV, Article 47, printed page 23 • 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.

Human legal review is pending; compare the text with the cited editionNon-partisan educational resource