Who among the following believes that the content of the directive principles of state policy was also to some extent a product of the anti colonial revolution?

Question

Accepted Answer

The correct option is 3:

The correct option is 3: **Granville Austin**.

Granville Austin, a renowned American historian of the Indian Constitution, is widely credited with defining and analyzing the foundational philosophy of the Constitution, particularly the synergy between the Fundamental Rights (Part III) and the Directive Principles of State Policy (Part IV). In his seminal work, *The Indian Constitution: Cornerstone of a Nation*, Austin meticulously examines the ideological roots of these principles. Austin argues that the DPSP are more than just a collection of noble aspirations copied from the Irish Constitution; they are, to a significant extent, the direct manifestation of the goals and promises made during India's struggle for independence—the "anti-colonial revolution." The independence movement was fought not just for political freedom, but also for socio-economic justice, equality, and national unity. The DPSP, which mandate that the state strive for social, economic, and political justice, a welfare state, and upliftment of the disadvantaged, directly translates the revolutionary and reformist zeal of the nationalist leadership into constitutional obligations. Austin views the DPSP as the "Conscience of the Constitution," representing the socio-economic revolution that the framers sought to achieve after gaining independence from colonial rule.

The incorrect option is 1:

Morris Jones was a prominent British political scientist known for his pioneering work on Indian politics, particularly his detailed institutional analysis in *The Government and Politics of India*. While Jones provided valuable classifications of the political process and the style of government in India, his focus was predominantly on institutional operations, the party system, and the practical workings of the parliamentary system after the Constitution was enacted. His key contribution relates to describing the unique political language and styles (like the traditional, modern, and saintly idioms) in post-independence India. He did not specifically center his constitutional analysis on the DPSP being a direct product of the anti-colonial revolution in the same philosophical depth as Austin.

The incorrect option is 2:

K. C. Wheare, an Australian constitutional scholar, is best known for his classifications of federal systems. He famously described the Indian Constitution as "quasi-federal" or "a unitary state with subsidiary federal features." Wheare's primary contribution to the discourse on the Indian Constitution was his analysis of the structure of power distribution between the Union and the States, evaluating it against classical federal models. While he acknowledged the social goals of the Constitution, his focus remained on its structural form and its departure from pure federalism, rather than the ideological genesis of the DPSP as a consequence of the anti-colonial struggle. Therefore, his central thesis does not align with the statement regarding the DPSP's revolutionary origin.

The incorrect option is 4:

Myron Weiner was an influential American political scientist specializing in comparative politics, particularly focusing on India, known for his extensive work on political development, migration, and the impact of modernization and identity politics on democratization. His most significant works examined issues such as the politics of scarcity, electoral behavior, and the relationship between state and society in India. While his research certainly touched upon the goals of the post-colonial state, his scholarly focus was far removed from the core constitutional history and the philosophical derivation of the DPSP from the independence movement. His area of expertise lay in analyzing the challenges of development and democracy in a newly independent nation, not in tracing the direct intellectual link between the DPSP and the anti-colonial revolution.