The correct answer is Article 42. Explanation & Key Takeaways: • Article 42 of the Indian Constitution explicitly mandates that the State shall make provisions for securing just and humane conditions of work and for maternity relief. • This article is categorized under the Socialistic Principles of the Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSP), which aim to establish a welfare state and ensure social and economic justice for all citizens. • The provision for maternity relief in this article serves as the constitutional foundation for various welfare legislations, most notably the Maternity Benefit Act, 1961, and its subsequent amendments, which provide paid leave and medical benefits to pregnant women. • Under Part IV of the Constitution (covering Articles 36 to 51), these principles are considered fundamental in the governance of the country, although they are non-justiciable, meaning they cannot be directly enforced by any court. • The phrase just and humane conditions requires the State to ensure that the working environment is safe, healthy, and respects the basic human dignity of the laborers, preventing exploitation and hazardous employment practices. Related Concepts: • Article 41: • Directs the State to ensure the right to work, to education, and to public assistance in cases of unemployment, old age, sickness, and disablement. • Article 43: • Focuses on securing a living wage, a decent standard of life, and full enjoyment of leisure for workers, while also promoting cottage industries on an individual or cooperative basis in rural areas. • Article 47: • States that it is the duty of the State to raise the level of nutrition and the standard of living of its people and to improve public health, including the prohibition of intoxicating drinks and drugs. • DPSP Context: • The Directive Principles were borrowed from the Irish Constitution and are often described by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar as the 'Novel Features' of the Indian Constitution.