Gandhian Principles
Reconstructing India at the Grassroots
PART I — RURAL EMPOWERMENT
ARTICLE 40
Village Panchayats
- Organize village panchayats
- Endow them with necessary powers
- Function as units of self-government
- Realized via 73rd Amendment Act
ARTICLE 43
Cottage Industries
- Promote cottage industries
- On an individual or co-operative basis
- Focus on rural and decentralized production
- Khadi and village economic self-reliance
ARTICLE 43B
Co-operative Societies
- Promote voluntary formation
- Autonomous functioning & democratic control
- Professional management of co-ops
- Added by 97th Amendment Act (2011)
PART II — SOCIAL JUSTICE & HEALTH
ARTICLE 46
Uplift Weaker Sections
- Promote educational & economic interests
- Specifically for SCs, STs, and weaker sections
- Protect them from social injustice
- Protect from all forms of exploitation
ARTICLE 47
Prohibition of Intoxicants
- Prohibit consumption of intoxicating drinks
- Prohibit drugs injurious to health
- Except for medicinal purposes
- Improve public health and moral standards
ARTICLE 48
Agriculture & Animal Husbandry
- Organize agriculture on modern/scientific lines
- Prohibit the slaughter of cows and calves
- Prohibit slaughter of draught cattle
- Improve their breeds
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