Article 12 to 35 contained in Part III of the Constitution deals with Fundamental Rights. These are: Right to equality, Right to freedom, Right against exploitation, Right to freedom of religion and Cultural and educational rights. Articles 36-51 under Part-IV of the Indian Constitution deal with Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSP). They are borrowed from the Constitution of Ireland, which had copied it from the Spanish Constitution. 

Importance of Directive Principles in achieving social and economic justice in a democratic society 

• Holistic Development: Directive Principles address not only civil and political rights but also social and economic rights.  For example, Article 43: The government has established several Boards such as Village Industries Board, Khadi and Village Industries Commission, All India Handicraft Board, Silk Board, Coir Board etc. This ensures formalization of the informal economy in the villages and promotes livelihood of farmers.
• Socio-Economic Equality: Policies derived from DPSP (Article 39) aim to promote a more equitable distribution of resources and opportunities. For example, Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA-2006) aims to raise the standard of living particularly in rural areas. 
• Social Justice:  DPSPs address issues such as poverty, unemployment and education.For example, Article 45 stressed on importance of free and compulsory education. With the Right to Education Act 2009, Elementary Education has been accepted as Fundamental Right of each child between the 6 to 14 years of age. 
• Environmental Protection:  Concerning Article 48(A), The Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 have been enacted to safeguard the wildlife and the forests respectively. 

Flexible Guidelines:  

• DPSPs can be adapted to changing social and economic conditions. 
• For example, Promotion of Cooperation societies was inserted as one of the DPSPs (Article 43-B), finally culminating into “Ministry of cooperation.”

 In the Minerva Mills case (1980), the Supreme Court held that ‘the Indian Constitution is founded on the bedrock of the balance between the Fundamental Rights and the Directive Principles’. The delicate balance between fundamental rights and directive principles is essential for fostering a just and equitable society. While fundamental rights safeguard individual liberties, directive principles provide a roadmap for the state to ensure social and economic justice.