Question map
Which one of the following objectives is **not** embodied in the Preamble to the Constitution of India?
Explanation
The correct answer is option B because the Preamble to the Constitution of India secures "LIBERTY of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship"[1] to all its citizens. This explicitly includes liberty of thought (option A), liberty of expression (option C), and liberty of belief (option D). However, "economic liberty" is not mentioned in the Preamble's enumeration of liberties.
While the Preamble does mention "JUSTICE, Social, Economic and Political"[1], it specifically addresses economic justice rather than economic liberty. The term 'liberty' means the absence of restraints on the activities of individuals, and at the same time, providing opportunities for the development of individual personalities.[2] The Preamble's focus regarding economic matters is on ensuring justice (fairness and equity in economic opportunities), not on absolute economic liberty. Therefore, economic liberty is the objective that is **not** embodied in the Preamble to the Constitution of India.
Sources- [1] Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth(7th ed.) > Chapter 5: Preamble of the Constitution > TEXT OF THE PREAMBLE > p. 42
- [2] Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth(7th ed.) > Chapter 5: Preamble of the Constitution > III Liberty > p. 45
PROVENANCE & STUDY PATTERN
Guest previewThis is a 'Sitter' category question. It demands verbatim memorization of the Preamble text. The trap lies in the adjective 'Economic'βit exists in the Preamble, but it is attached to 'Justice', not 'Liberty'. If you rely on vague understanding rather than exact wording, you will fail here.
This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.
- Statement 1: Is "liberty of thought" included in the Preamble to the Constitution of India?
- Statement 2: Is "economic liberty" included in the Preamble to the Constitution of India?
- Statement 3: Is "liberty of expression" included in the Preamble to the Constitution of India?
- Statement 4: Is "liberty of belief" included in the Preamble to the Constitution of India?
- Contains the verbatim Preamble text listing: 'LIBERTY of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship'.
- Direct primary source text showing 'liberty of thought' as one of the Preamble objectives.
- Explicitly states that the Preamble secures to all citizens 'liberty of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship'.
- Explains the meaning and scope of 'liberty' as envisaged by the Preamble and its link to Fundamental Rights.
- Reproduces the Preamble (as amended) including the phrase 'LIBERTY of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship'.
- Confirms the Preamble's wording in a constitutional commentary.
- The quoted Preamble text explicitly defines the forms of 'LIBERTY' it guarantees.
- The listed liberties are 'thought, expression, belief, faith and worship' β economic liberty is not mentioned.
- This duplicate official distribution of the Preamble again lists the specific liberties guaranteed.
- It repeats the same set (thought, expression, belief, faith and worship), with no reference to economic liberty.
Gives the full current text of the Preamble showing the exact words used for 'JUSTICE' and for 'LIBERTY'.
A student can compare the listed kinds of 'LIBERTY' in this text with the phrase 'economic liberty' to see whether that specific term appears.
Explains what the Preamble means by 'liberty' and explicitly lists the kinds of liberty secured (thought, expression, belief, faith and worship).
Use this list to check whether 'economic' is among the liberties the Preamble secures.
Contains a multiple-choice question that treats 'Economic liberty' as an option identified as not embodied in the Preamble.
A student could use such practice-question framing as a prompt to verify against the Preamble text whether 'economic liberty' is present.
Frames 'Economic Justice' as an objective linked to the Preamble (question about where 'economic justice' is provided).
Distinguish between 'economic justice' (which the Preamble explicitly lists under Justice) and 'economic liberty' by checking the Preamble wording.
Reproduces the Preamble (as amended) and highlights 'JUSTICE, social, economic and political' together with the separate list for 'LIBERTY'.
A student can use this to note that 'economic' qualifies 'justice' in the Preamble rather than qualifying 'liberty', suggesting 'economic liberty' is not the phrasing used.
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- Contains the exact text of the Preamble including the line: 'LIBERTY of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship;'
- Direct textual evidence that 'expression' is enumerated as part of 'liberty' in the Preamble.
- Explicitly states that the Preamble secures to all citizens 'liberty of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship'.
- Explains 'liberty' in the Preamble context, reinforcing that 'expression' is included.
- Reproduces the Preamble wording and lists 'LIBERTY of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship' as an objective.
- Confirms the inclusion of 'expression' in the Preamble's catalogue of liberties.
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- Contains the Preamble text verbatim listing: 'LIBERTY of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship'.
- Direct textual evidence that 'belief' is one of the liberties secured by the Preamble.
- Reproduces the Preamble (as amended) and explicitly includes 'LIBERTY of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship'.
- Confirms the wording and scope of 'liberty' in the Preamble.
- Explains that the Preamble secures liberty of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship to all citizens.
- Clarifies the concept of 'liberty' in the Preamble and its relationship with Fundamental Rights.
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- [THE VERDICT]: Sitter. Direct hit from Laxmikanth Chapter 5 (Text of the Preamble) or NCERT Class IX (Democratic Politics).
- [THE CONCEPTUAL TRIGGER]: The specific categorization of Constitutional Objectives: Justice, Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity.
- [THE HORIZONTAL EXPANSION]: Memorize the exact lists: Justice (Social, Economic, Political); Liberty (Thought, Expression, Belief, Faith, Worship); Equality (Status, Opportunity); Fraternity (Dignity, Unity, Integrity). Note the sequence.
- [THE STRATEGIC METACOGNITION]: Do not just read the Preamble; map the adjectives to their nouns. Ask yourself: Why 'Economic Justice' but not 'Economic Liberty'? Because the Indian Constitution envisages a Welfare State (Justice), not a Laissez-faire Capitalist state (Absolute Economic Liberty).
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The Preamble explicitly lists 'liberty of thought' as part of the liberty clause; knowing the exact phrasing helps answer directly.
High-yield for MCQs and descriptive questions on Preamble contents; links to constitutional basics and quick recall tasks. Master by memorizing the Preamble text and practicing precise identification of its components.
- Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth(7th ed.) > Chapter 5: Preamble of the Constitution > TEXT OF THE PREAMBLE > p. 42
- Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth(7th ed.) > Chapter 5: Preamble of the Constitution > III Liberty > p. 45
References show the Preamble's liberty is tied to Fundamental Rights and enforceability in courts.
Important for questions on the relationship between the Preamble and enforceable rights, judicial interpretation, and rights protection. Helps answer legal-scheme and polity mains/ethics questions; study by mapping Preamble terms to corresponding Fundamental Rights provisions.
- Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth(7th ed.) > Chapter 5: Preamble of the Constitution > III Liberty > p. 45
- Democratic Politics-I. Political Science-Class IX . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 5: DEMOCRATIC RIGHTS > 5.3 RIGHTS IN THE INDIAN CONSTITUTION > p. 79
Sources treat the Preamble as embodying the Constitution's philosophy and an integral interpretative aid.
Crucial for essays and judiciary-related questions on constitutional interpretation and amendments. Understand its role in cases and amendments (e.g., text vs. interpretation) to handle analytical questions; link study to landmark judgments and amendment history.
- Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth(7th ed.) > Chapter 5: Preamble of the Constitution > SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PREAMBLE > p. 46
- Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth(7th ed.) > Chapter 5: Preamble of the Constitution > PREAMBLE AS PART OF THE CONSTITUTION > p. 47
The Preamble's text lists 'Justice, Social, Economic and Political' separately from 'Liberty of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship', so knowing exact words is essential to judge whether 'economic liberty' appears.
High-yield: many UPSC questions hinge on precise phrasing of constitutional provisions (Preamble, Fundamental Rights, DPSP). Mastering exact clauses helps avoid traps that interchange terms (e.g., 'economic justice' vs 'economic liberty') and supports accurate answer-writing and interpretation. Link this to study of Fundamental Rights and DPSPs for comparative analysis.
- Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth(7th ed.) > Chapter 5: Preamble of the Constitution > TEXT OF THE PREAMBLE > p. 42
- Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth(7th ed.) > Chapter 5: Preamble of the Constitution > III Liberty > p. 45
The Preamble explicitly pairs 'economic' with 'justice' while 'liberty' is limited to specified freedoms, highlighting a conceptual difference relevant to the statement.
High-yield: UPSC often tests ability to distinguish similar-sounding constitutional concepts. Understanding this distinction helps answer questions on thematic intent of the Constitution (welfare vs negative liberty), informs essays on socio-economic rights, and aids in linking Preamble language to Directive Principles and policy debates.
- Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth(7th ed.) > Chapter 5: Preamble of the Constitution > TEXT OF THE PREAMBLE > p. 42
- Introduction to the Constitution of India, D. D. Basu (26th ed.). > Chapter 3: THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE CONSTITUTION > EVERY Constitution has a philosophy of its own. > p. 22
Whether a phrase appears in the Preamble and how it is read depends on the Preamble's role in interpretation and its status as part of the Constitution.
Medium-high: Questions ask about the legal weight of the Preamble and its use in interpretation (e.g., judicial references). Mastering this helps in legal-analysis questions and in evaluating how far Preamble wording can be used to infer rights or obligations; it connects to landmark cases and constitutional amendment debates.
- Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth(7th ed.) > Chapter 5: Preamble of the Constitution > PREAMBLE AS PART OF THE CONSTITUTION > p. 47
The question asks about whether 'expression' is part of the Preamble; several references reproduce this exact phrase from the Preamble.
High-yield factual recall: knowing the precise words of the Preamble is frequently tested in prelims and useful in mains essays/answers about constitutional values. It connects directly to Fundamental Rights and constitutional philosophy; practice memorising exact phrasing and locating it in source texts.
- Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth(7th ed.) > Chapter 5: Preamble of the Constitution > TEXT OF THE PREAMBLE > p. 42
- Indian Polity, M. Laxmikanth(7th ed.) > Chapter 5: Preamble of the Constitution > III Liberty > p. 45
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The 'Integrity' trap: The word 'Integrity' was NOT in the original Preamble; it was added by the 42nd Amendment (1976) along with 'Socialist' and 'Secular'. A future question may ask to identify the specific words added or the exact sequence (Sovereign Socialist Secular Democratic Republic).
The 'Socialist' Conflict: The Preamble declares India a 'Socialist' Republic. 'Economic Liberty' is a core tenet of Capitalism (Laissez-faire). These two concepts are ideologically opposed. Therefore, 'Economic Liberty' cannot be an objective in a 'Socialist' Preamble.
Mains GS-2 (Polity) & GS-4 (Ethics): The absence of 'Economic Liberty' and presence of 'Economic Justice' is the constitutional justification for State intervention in the economy (e.g., Land Reforms, MGNREGA, Food Security). It prioritizes distributive fairness over absolute market freedom.
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