Which Article in the Directive Principles of State Policy specifically directs the State to organise village panchayats and endow them with powers and authority?

Introduction / Context:
Panchayati Raj is a key feature of grassroots democracy in India. Before detailed constitutional amendments on local self government were introduced, the original Constitution already contained a Directive Principle urging the State to organise village panchayats. This question tests whether the learner can correctly identify the Article that carries this directive and links it with the development of Panchayati Raj institutions.

Given Data / Assumptions:

The question is about a specific Article in the Directive Principles of State Policy.
The Article in question directs the State to organise village panchayats and give them powers and authority.
Four Articles are listed as options: 36, 39, 40 and 48.
The learner is assumed to know the general content of the Directive Principles in Part IV of the Constitution.

Concept / Approach:
Article 40 of the Constitution of India states that the State shall take steps to organise village panchayats and endow them with such powers and authority as may be necessary to enable them to function as units of self government. This is a Directive Principle and not directly enforceable in courts, but it provided the constitutional basis for later developments such as the Seventy Third Amendment and the formal introduction of Panchayati Raj as a constitutional system. Remembering the pairing Article 40 and village panchayats is essential for exam questions on this topic.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify that the question concerns Directive Principles and village panchayats. Step 2: Recall that Articles 36 to 51 cover Directive Principles of State Policy. Step 3: Remember that Article 40 specifically mentions organisation of village panchayats as units of self government. Step 4: Recognise that Article 36 deals with the definition of the State for the purpose of Part IV, not with panchayats. Step 5: Note that Article 39 lays down principles relating to economic justice and equal distribution of material resources, not local self government. Step 6: Understand that Article 48 relates to organisation of agriculture and animal husbandry, including preservation of certain breeds. Step 7: Therefore, conclude that Article 40 is the only option that directly addresses village panchayats.

Verification / Alternative check:
To verify, one can quickly scan the text of Part IV of the Constitution in any standard reference. Under Article 40, the Directive Principle is clearly worded in favour of organising village panchayats and giving them necessary powers. Numerous polity books present tables that link Article numbers with subject headings, and in those tables, Article 40 is always associated with organisation of village panchayats. The consistent presentation of this mapping across sources confirms the correctness of the answer.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Article 36: Provides the definition of the State for the purposes of Directive Principles and does not mention panchayats.
Article 39: Lays down principles for policy relating to economic justice, livelihood and distribution of resources, but not village level self government.
Article 48: Concerns agriculture and animal husbandry and includes instructions about scientific methods and preservation of certain breeds, not about local governance units.

Common Pitfalls:
A common pitfall is mixing up the numbers of closely placed Articles in Part IV, especially for learners who rely on approximate memory instead of precise recall. Another mistake is to associate panchayats only with the Seventy Third Amendment and forget that Directive Principles already hinted at this system. To avoid such errors, aspirants should create a concise list of key Article numbers and headings, including Article 40 for village panchayats. Regular revision of this list makes questions involving Article numbers much easier to answer rapidly and accurately.

Final Answer:
The Directive Principle that instructs the State to organise village panchayats and endow them with powers and authority is contained in Article 40 of the Constitution of India.