This article is a compilation of Article 48 as it is. You can understand it well, that’s why its explanation is also given below, you must read it. Its explanation is also available in Hindi, for this you can use the link given below;

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article 48
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Article 48

📜 Article 48

48. Organisation of agriculture and animal husbandry.—The State shall endeavour to organise agriculture and animal husbandry on modern and scientific lines and shall, in particular, take steps for preserving and improving the breeds, and prohibiting the slaughter, of cows and calves and other milch and draught cattle.

1[48A. Protection and improvement of environment and safeguarding of forests and wild life.—The State shall endeavour to protect and improve the environment and to safeguard the forests and wild life of the country.]
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1. Ins. by the Constitution (Forty-second Amendment) Act, 1976, s. 10 (w.e.f. 3-1-1977).
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🔍 Explanation

 The literal meaning of the Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSP) is the principles that guide the policy of the  state .

When  the constitution  was framed, the people had  no experience of ruling in a democratic state and making laws in the interest of the country. Especially for the states that were about to take over after a long colonial period.

As we know that   it is not mandatory for politicians in our country to be educated . In such a situation, a guide becomes necessary so that the policy makers always know which way to go.

◾ It was not that DPSP was a new idea but   it was already working in Ireland and we took it from there.

◾ The Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSP) are the guidelines for making laws and policies for the welfare and development of the citizens. These are included in Part IV of the Indian Constitution.

These principles are non-enforceable, meaning they are not enforceable by the courts, however, are considered fundamental in the governance of the country and must be taken into account by the government while formulating laws and policies.

Overall, policy-directive elements are those elements of democratic and constitutional development whose objective is to establish a public-welfare state.

Classification of DPSP — Below you can see the classification of Directive Principles. This will make it easier for you to understand why the articles you are reading have been included in the DPSP and for what purposes it has been targeted.

PrinciplesArticles
Socialist
_		⚫ Article 38
⚫ Article 39
⚫ Article 39A
⚫ Article 41
⚫ Article 42
⚫ Article 43
⚫ Article 43A
⚫ Article 47
Gandhian
_		⚫ Article 40
⚫ Article 43
⚫ Article 43B
⚫ Article 46
⚫ Article 48
Liberal
intellectual		⚫ Article 44
⚫ Article 45
⚫ Article 48
⚫ Article 48A
⚫ Article 49
⚫ Article 50
⚫ Article 51

Apart from this, the directive elements can also be seen by dividing them into the following groups;

Welfare State Article 38 (1 and 2), Article 39 (B and C), Article 39A, Article 41, Article 42, Article 43, Article 43A and Article 47 are kept in the Policy Directive Principles of this group.

Equality of Dignity & Opportunity Articles 40, 41, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48 and 50 are kept in the policy directive elements of this group.

individual ‘s rights Articles 39A, 41, 42, 43, 45 and 47 are kept in the Policy Directive Principles of this group.

Article 36 to Article 51 comes under Part 4 of the Constitution. In this article we are going to understand Article 48 ;

⚫ Article-34 – Indian Constitution
⚫ Article-35 – Indian Constitution

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| Article 48 – Organization of agriculture and animal husbandry

Under this article, the State shall endeavor to organize agriculture and animal husbandry on modern and scientific lines and shall, in particular, take steps to preserve and improve the breeds of cows and calves and other milch and draft animals and to prohibit their slaughter.

There are two parts to this article. The first part deals with the organization of agriculture and animal husbandry on modern and scientific lines.

Whereas in the second part, it has been talked about the preservation and improvement of the breeds of cows and calves and other milch and carrier animals and banning their slaughter.

first part –To organize agriculture and animal husbandry with modern and scientific methods.

The Government of India has taken several steps to organize agriculture and animal husbandry in modern and scientific ways. Some examples include:

◾ Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (NABARD): This scheme provides financial assistance to farmers for the purchase of modern agricultural equipment and adoption of modern agricultural practices.

◾ Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY): The scheme provides insurance coverage for crops against natural calamities and crop failures.

◾ Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY): The scheme aims to improve irrigation facilities for farmers to increase crop productivity and reduce wastage of water.

◾Soil Health Card Scheme: The objective of this scheme is to provide farmers with information about the health of their soil, so that they can take appropriate measures to improve it and increase crop productivity.

◾National Project on Organic Farming: The project aims to promote organic farming in the country with a focus on increasing the production of organic foods and reducing the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides.

◾National Livestock Mission (NLM): The scheme aims to improve the productivity and genetic potential of livestock in the country through the use of modern breeding techniques and provision of veterinary services.

◾National Dairy Development Board (NDDB): This organization promotes the development of dairy industry in the country through the use of modern breeding techniques and provision of veterinary services.

◾National Project on Cattle and Buffalo Breeding (NPCBB): The project aims at improving the genetic potential of cattle and buffaloes in the country through the use of modern breeding techniques and provision of veterinary services.

◾ Rashtriya Gokul Mission: The objective of the mission is to conserve and develop indigenous breeds in a focused and scientific manner with the overall objectives of increasing milk production and productivity, improving genetic makeup and ensuring sustainable livelihoods.

◾Kisan Credit Card (KCC) Scheme: The scheme provides loans to farmers at low interest rates for purchase of agricultural inputs and equipment.

◾Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN): The scheme provides financial assistance to small and marginal farmers to help them improve their income and livelihood.

◾National Food Security Mission (NFSM): The objective of this mission is to increase food grain production and productivity in the country through the use of modern agricultural practices and technologies.

◾National Horticulture Mission (NHM): The objective of this mission is to increase the production and productivity of horticulture crops in the country through the use of modern agricultural practices and technologies.

◾National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA): The mission aims to promote sustainable agricultural practices in the country with a focus on improving soil health, water management and crop productivity.

◾ National Project for Cattle and Buffalo Breeding (NPCBB): The project aims at improving the genetic potential of cattle and buffaloes in the country through the use of modern breeding techniques and provision of veterinary services.

◾ National Scheme for the Welfare of Fishermen: The scheme aims to provide financial assistance to fishermen for the purchase of fishing equipment, boats and other facilities.

◾National Livestock Disease Control Program (NLDC): The program aims to control the spread of livestock diseases and improve the health and productivity of livestock in the country.

◾National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB): The objective of this organization is to promote the development of fisheries sector in the country through the use of modern methods and techniques of fishing.

◾ National Bamboo Mission: The objective of this mission is to promote the development of bamboo sector in the country and increase the use of bamboo in various sectors like construction, paper and textiles.

◾ National Mission for Protein Support to Agriculture (NMPSA): The objective of this mission is to increase the production of protein-rich crops like pulses, oilseeds and millets to improve the nutritional status of the population.

So here we have seen some examples of how agriculture and animal husbandry are being organized with modern and scientific methods . The Government of India is constantly updating and implementing new policies to promote modern and scientific methods in agriculture and animal husbandry.

The second part – Preservation and improvement of breeds of cows and calves and other milch animals and prohibition of their slaughter.

No class of animals mentioned in this provision shall be slaughtered, even if they have no utility from the point of view of agriculture or animal husbandry.

It means to say that protection has been given to cows and calves under this directive. Also, the same protection has been given to such other animals which are milking at present or will give milk further or which are currently working as carrier animals.

Remember this protection is not available to those animals which used to give milk or were carrier animals earlier but are not now.

The Government of India has taken several steps for the conservation and improvement of the breeds of cows and calves and other milch animals and to put a stop to their slaughter. Some examples include:

◾ Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960: This Act prohibits the killing of cows and calves and other milch animals, except under certain conditions.

◾ National Project on Bovine Breeding and Dairy Development: The objective of this project is to improve the genetic potential of bovine animals in the country through the use of modern breeding techniques and provision of veterinary services.

◾ National Bovine Breeding Policy (2020): The policy aims to improve the genetic potential of bovine animals in the country through the use of modern breeding techniques and provision of veterinary services.

◾ Rashtriya Gokul Mission: The objective of this mission is to conserve and develop indigenous breeds of cows, improve their genetic makeup and increase milk production and productivity.

◾ National Livestock Disease Control Program (NLDC): The program aims to control the spread of livestock diseases and improve the health and productivity of livestock in the country.

◾ National Project on Cattle and Buffalo Breeding (NPCBB): The project aims at improving the genetic potential of cattle and buffaloes in the country through the use of modern breeding techniques and provision of veterinary services.

◾ National Cow Commission (NCC): The commission has been set up to advise the government on matters related to cow protection and development, improving economic conditions of farmers and addressing issues related to cow slaughter.

◾ Cow Sanctuary and Gaushala: These are protected areas established by the government for the protection and breeding of cows and other bovine animals.

◾ Ban on Cow Slaughter: Many states in India have banned the slaughter of cows and other milch animals.

So here we have understood through some examples that how the Government of India is bringing and implementing policies for the conservation and improvement of the breeds of cows and calves and other milch animals.

Article 48A was inserted in DPSP with the help of 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act. Article 48A deals with protection of environment and we have discussed that separately. Read – Article 48A

So overall this is Article 48, I hope you have understood. To understand other article, you can use the link given below.

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Disclaimer - The articles and their interpretations presented here are based on the original Constitution (latest edition), DD Basu's commentary on the Constitution (mainly) and various scholars of the Constitution (whose writings are available in newspapers, magazines and audio-visuals on the Internet). We have just tried to make it interesting and easy to understand.