The Instrument of Instructions contained in the Government of India Act 1935 was later incorporated into the Constitution of India in 1950 as which set of provisions?

Introduction / Context:
The Government of India Act 1935 was the last major constitutional document of British rule and served as an important reference point for the framers of the Indian Constitution. One of its features was a set of Instrument of Instructions that guided the exercise of powers by the Governor General and Governors. When India framed its own Constitution, similar guidance was built into the document in a new and more democratic form. This question asks which part of the Indian Constitution corresponds most closely to those earlier Instrument of Instructions. This link is frequently tested in Indian Polity examinations.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The historical starting point is the Government of India Act 1935.
• The focus is on its Instrument of Instructions, which were guidelines to the executive authorities.
• The Indian Constitution has several parts, such as Fundamental Rights and Directive Principles, that might appear similar at first glance.
• The learner must identify the correct equivalence between old and new provisions.

Concept / Approach:
The Instrument of Instructions in the 1935 Act were essentially policy guidelines and directives for governance rather than directly enforceable rights of citizens. In the Indian Constitution, the Directive Principles of State Policy serve a similar purpose. They lay down broad socio economic, welfare, and governance goals that the state must strive to achieve, even though they are not directly justiciable in courts. Fundamental Rights, by contrast, are enforceable claims of citizens, and Fundamental Duties were added later by amendment. Hence, the correct conceptual match is between the Instrument of Instructions and the Directive Principles of State Policy.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Step 1: Recall that the Instrument of Instructions in the 1935 Act were directions for rulers and administrators about how to use their discretionary powers. Step 2: Note that these instructions were not legally enforceable by citizens in courts but were meant to guide policy and governance style. Step 3: Compare this with the Directive Principles of State Policy in Part IV of the Constitution, which similarly lay down non justiciable principles for the state to follow in making laws and policies. Step 4: Recognise that Fundamental Rights in Part III are enforceable rights, which is conceptually different from non justiciable instructions. Step 5: Conclude that the Instrument of Instructions correspond to the Directive Principles of State Policy.

Verification / Alternative check:
Standard Indian Polity textbooks explicitly state that the Directive Principles of State Policy were influenced by various sources, including the Irish Constitution and the Instrument of Instructions in the Government of India Act 1935. They highlight the similarity that both are guidelines for governance, not directly enforceable rights. No such linkage is typically drawn between the Instrument of Instructions and Fundamental Rights, Fundamental Duties, or Emergency provisions. Confirming this in at least one reliable text is an effective way to be sure of the answer in exam preparation.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Fundamental Rights: These are justiciable rights of individuals against the state, quite different from administrative instructions to rulers. Fundamental Duties: These were introduced later by constitutional amendment and focus on responsibilities of citizens, not on guiding executive discretion. Emergency provisions: These define exceptional powers of the state during crises and are not primarily policy guidelines. None of these parts plays the same guiding role as the Directive Principles, so they do not match the Instrument of Instructions.

Common Pitfalls:
Students often mix up the sources and influences of different constitutional parts. They may remember that Fundamental Rights were influenced by the United States Bill of Rights and that Directive Principles drew on the Irish Constitution, but forget the additional influence of the 1935 Act. Some also wrongly assume that any pre independence law must map to Fundamental Rights due to association with colonial repression. To avoid such errors, it helps to draw a small mapping chart showing the key influences for each major part of the Constitution, including this connection between the Instrument of Instructions and the Directive Principles.

Final Answer:
The Instrument of Instructions in the Government of India Act 1935 were incorporated into the Indian Constitution in the form of the Directive Principles of State Policy.