Which one of the following objectives is not embodied in the Preamble to the Constitution of India?

The correct answer is B) Economic liberty. The Preamble promises Liberty of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship, so options A, C and D are all embodied in it. What it promises in the economic field is Justice, not liberty: Justice, social, economic and political. That is the trap in this question.

• A) Liberty of thought: Explicitly named in the Preamble.
• C) Liberty of expression: Explicitly named in the Preamble, and protected as a fundamental right under Article 19(1)(a).
• D) Liberty of belief: Explicitly named in the Preamble, and linked to Articles 25 to 28 on freedom of religion.
• B) Economic liberty: Not in the text. Economic concerns appear as economic justice, which is pursued through the Directive Principles, especially Article 39 on the distribution of material resources and the prevention of concentration of wealth.

The core concept is the difference between the Preamble's values of liberty, equality and fraternity and the justice it promises in its social, economic and political dimensions. For Mains GS-2 this matters when you discuss the tension between economic justice and market freedom in the Constitution.

Trap: Aspirants see the economic reference in the Preamble and assume it means economic liberty. The Preamble speaks of economic justice, which is a different idea.