Home The Constitution Part IV Article 45

Art. 45 Part IV: Directive Principles of State Policy

Provision for Early Childhood Care and Education

Exact text — Constitution of India

The State shall endeavour to provide early childhood care and education for all children until they complete the age of six years. [As amended by the 86th Amendment, 2002 — originally required free and compulsory education for children up to age 14 within 10 years of the Constitution's commencement.]

In Plain English

What this Article actually means

Originally, this Article set an ambitious 10-year deadline (from 1950) for the State to provide free, compulsory education to all children up to age 14 — a target that took over 50 years to substantially achieve. The 86th Amendment in 2002 split this responsibility: education for ages 6-14 was elevated into the enforceable Fundamental Right under Article 21A, while this Article was re-purposed to focus specifically on early childhood care and education for children below age 6.

Why This Matters To You

How it shows up in everyday life

This is why children below 6 don't have the same enforceable 'free education' right their older siblings have under Article 21A — early childhood care (like Anganwadi centres under the Integrated Child Development Services scheme) remains governed by this weaker, aspirational directive rather than a Fundamental Right, a gap child-welfare advocates continue to raise.

Read alongside this one

Art. 21a — Right to Education Art. childrens-rights — Children's Rights

Frequently Asked

Quick answers about Article 45

Is pre-school/Anganwadi education a Fundamental Right?

No — unlike education for ages 6-14 (Article 21A), early childhood care for children under 6 remains under this non-enforceable Directive Principle, delivered through government schemes like Anganwadi centres rather than a constitutional guarantee.

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The text above reproduces Article 45 of the Constitution of India as amended to date, for general educational reference. It is public-domain legislative text, but we recommend cross-checking the authoritative version at legislative.gov.in or india.gov.in before relying on it for a legal matter. The explanation, examples and FAQs are general information, not legal advice — consult a qualified advocate for guidance on your specific situation.