secularism in india essay upsc

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Secularism in India

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GS-I: Social Issues

What is Secularism?

What are the constitutional provisions pertaining to secularism in india, how is indian secularism different from western secularism, what are the criticisms of the indian model of secularism, what are the factors that threaten india’s secular fabric, what measures can help india become a truly secular state.

Mains: Social Empowerment, Communalism, Regionalism & Secularism.

Secularism is an ideology that emphasizes the separation of religion and the state and the neutrality of the government with respect to religious beliefs..

Separation of religion from the state i.e. Dharm Nirpekshta.
Equal respect to all religions by state i.e. Sarva Dharma Samabhava.
The Indian constitution aims for a secular state where all religions are treated equally

At the outset of the making of the Constitution, the concept of secularism was not expressly mentioned in the Indian Constitution. However, the Indian Constitution has spelled out several provisions in Part III(Fundamental Rights) , Part IV(Directive Principles of State Policy) , and Part IVA(Fundamental Duties) that reflect the existence of secularism.

Apart from the Constitution, Judiciary has also helped shape Secularism in India.

Kesavananda Bharati v. State of Kerala (1973) : The Supreme Court held that secularism was a part of the basic structure of the Constitution.
Bommai v Union of India (1994) : The Supreme Court elaborated on the meaning of secularism. The Court said that secularism means equal treatment of all religions.

Some major differences between the Indian and Western models of Secularism are

Indian secularism has been subjected to various criticisms. Some of these are:

However, secularism is against institutionalized religious domination. This is not the same as being anti-religious.
However, the mutual exclusion of religion and state, which is supposed to be the ideal of western secular societies, is not the defining feature of all secular states.
However, the constitution protects the most fundamental interest of minorities
However, Indian secularism follows the concept of principled distance, which also allows for non-interference.
Vote Bank Politics : There is the argument that secularism encourages the politics of vote banks.
Candidates for elections are selected based on religious considerations, and votes are cast based on religious sentiments.
Non-separation of religion from politics : Events in the past like the demolition of the Babri Masjid, anti-Sikh riots in 1984, Mumbai riots in 1992 and 1993, Godhra riots in 2002, etc., have shown the well-established problem of communalism raising its head now, and then.
Sachar Committee had reported, “while Muslims constitute 14 percent of the Indian population, they comprise only 2.5 percent of the Indian bureaucracy”.
Growing radicalization : In recent years, there have been stray incidences of youth being inspired and radicalized by groups like ISIS, posing a threat to the secular fabric of the nation.
Example: Delhi riots 2020.

The Indian constitution aims for a secular state. To strengthen its ideas further following steps can be taken:

Education as a tool : Education is a means to effect change in the mindset of people. Individual examples of sharing and mutual help could reduce prejudice and suspicion between communities.
Social Reforms : Movements for social reform, like Uniform Civil Code , will have to be organized and public opinion mobilized. Also, Minorities should be encouraged to participate in the mainstream of national life.
Move towards secular politics : Communal politics and vote bank politics need to be replaced by secular politics to ensure religious tolerance.
Combating religious extremism : Strong measures need to be taken to combat religious extremism and promote a culture of tolerance and mutual respect.
Protecting minority rights : It includes ensuring equal access to education, employment, and other opportunities, as well as protecting minority communities from violence and hate crimes.

India has come a long way since independence to make a secular society. However, steps like social reforms, religious tolerance, etc., need to be further strengthened to achieve the goal of Constitution makers.

Previous Year Questions

Q) Are tolerance, assimilation and pluralism the key elements in the making of an Indian form of secularism? Justify your answer.(2022)

Q) How is the Indian concept of secularism different from the western model of secularism? Discuss. (2018)

Q) Distinguish between religiousness/religiosity and communalism giving one example of how the former has transformed into the latter in independent India. (2017)

Q) How do the Indian debates on secularism differ from the debates in the West? (2014)

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q) what is sarva dharma samabhava.

Sarva Dharma Samabhava is a concept that translates to "equal respect for all religions'. It is the idea that all religions are equal in their value and spiritual significance, and that no one religion is superior or inferior to another. It emphasizes the importance of tolerance, harmony, and unity among people of different religious beliefs.

Q) What are the features of Indian Secularism?

Some of the features of Indian secularism are Equal respect and recognition for all religions by the state, No discrimination by the state on the basis of religion, Non-interference in the functioning of any religion by the state, No official religion in India and an individual has the right to practice, propagate and profess any religion.

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Essay on ‘Secularism in India’ for UPSC: Present Your UPSC Essay Topics in the Best Way

Writing for IAS exams requires you to be able to write essays. This article will teach you how to write the best essay for UPSC through a UPSC essay topic sample.

This essay is based on secularism in India for the UPSC exam. In the very first paragraph, let’s start with introducing the topic.

Essay on ‘Secularism in India’ for UPSC – Introductory Para

The term secularism refers to the separation of religion from government. This implies that the government at any level cannot associate itself with a certain religion and that all religions are treated as equal in the eyes of law. This is very important for a country like India that homes the number of religions. India has so much diversity within the country. Every region of the country is different from each region.

The preamble of India states itself to be a secular nation and with this also provides a few basic rights related to an individual’s religion. There are 4 rights available on the basis of religion. They are Right to propagate, Right to profess, Right to practice and Freedom of conscience. These rights are provided by the constitution as a safeguard for every religion.

There can be no discrimination based on any person’s religion in the country. If this right of theirs is broken, it will be deemed as a criminal activity and a person is liable to be punished by the law. The government looks to give reservation to religious minorities so that they do not feel discriminated against in the nation.

UPSC Sample Essay Topic Second Para

Many times these reservations raise questions like if India is truly secular? The answer is yes, India is very secular. The country is home to more than just five religions. It is impossible for the nation to agree and fulfil to the needs of each and every religion, and this in turn causes conflicts.

Yes, it is important to understand the needs of the minorities as it is very common to see the minority religion is dominated by the majority as in the case of Sri Lanka. It is very important for India to ensure that the same situation does not prevail in the country as it can seriously dent the development progress. It is very important that the government stands on neutral grounds over religious matters and does not give any support to a certain religion.

Fourth Para

It is commonly seen that political parties turn to religion in order to gain votes. This is a very bad method of polling and is done in bad taste. The countrymen of India should look to create a positive change, where religion is not a factor for voting. The deserving candidate should be voted into power and not someone who is trying to appease a single community only for the sake of votes.

Secularism in India is very important. Not only will it help to create a better society but also a much safer and developed society. It is very important to stray away from religion. Whenever religion has been mixed with the government, the results have never been good. The examples of these are many, Sri Lanka, Yugoslavia and many more countries.

Concluding Para

India has done its best to keep religion out from the government from the very start. Secularism is one of the main pillars that keep the democratic value of our country upheld. The issue of secularism in India is definitely downgrading as of now. Many religious extremists are now looking to demolish the secularism that is prevailing in India. Few call this secularism fake, and few call it unjust. The banishment of this secularism is not only from one side of the religious spectrum but from multiple sides.

The number of religious extremists who are tainting the freedom of the nation is now on the rise. It is very important that these kinds of groups are dealt with quickly as it definitely can affect the way India will develop.

Also Read: Civil Liberties are Fundamental to the Functioning of Model Democracies: UPSC Essay Writing

Writing essays for UPSC topics is not easy but students who are looking to write the best essays can get help from this article.

This article lays down a format for a great essay for IAS exams. Students can add more information in the essay if needed. The most important aspect will be including current affairs into these essay topics. This will help you to impress the invigilator too as it shows that a candidate is very much updated with the topics. All the best to every writer!

Also Read: Best Essay Books for UPSC: Perfect the Art of IAS Essay Writing

About the Author

Shilpa is a professional web content writer and is in deep love with travelling. She completed her mass communication degree and is now dedicatedly playing with words to guide her readers to get the best for themselves. Developing educational content for UPSC, IELTS aspirants from breakthrough research work is her forte. Strongly driven by her zodiac sign Sagittarius, Shilpa loves to live her life on her own notes and completely agrees with the idea of ‘live and let live. Apart from writing and travelling, most of the time she can be seen in the avatar of 'hooman' mom to her pets and street dogs or else you can also catch her wearing the toque blanche and creating magic in the kitchen on weekends.

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Secularism in India – History, Constitution, Challenges

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Secularism in India

September 23, 2019
General , India

Secularism refers to Separation of Religion from the state. The Indian Constitution allows individuals the freedom to live by their religious beliefs and practices.

With the 42nd Amendment of the Constitution of India enacted in 1976, the Preamble to the Constitution asserted that India is a secular nation. It separated the power of religion and the power of the state.

Relevant constitutional provisions pertaining to Secularism

Fundamental rights

Article 14: Equality before law.

Article 15: Prohibition of discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth.

Article 16: Equality of opportunity in matters of public employment.

Article 19: Protection of certain rights regarding freedom of speech etc.

Article 21: Protection of life and personal property.

Article 25: Freedom of consigns and free profession, practise, and propagation of religion.

Article 26: Freedom to manage religious affairs.

Article 27: freedom as to payment of taxes for promotion of any particular religion.

Article 28: freedom as to attendance at religious instruction or religious worship in certain educational institutions.

Articl2 29: Protection of interest of minorities.

Article 30: Right of minorities to establish and administer educational institution.

Directive Principles of State Policy

Article 44: Uniform civil code for the citizens.

Article 48: Organization of agriculture and animal husbandry.

Article 51 A: Fundamental duties

Clause (e) : To promote harmony and the spirit of common brotherhood amongst all people of India transcending religious linguistic and regional or sectional diversities and to renounce practices derogatory to the dignity of women.

Clause (f) : To value and preserve the rich heritage of our composite culture

How state prevents domination by the religious group.

1. State should be non-theocratic :- A state must not be run by the heads of any particular religion. A state governed directly by a priestly order is called theocratic. For example- the Papal States of Europe in the Medieval period, Taliban controlled states in recent times.

For this, states should have a separation from religion at the primary level, but this is not sufficient.

2. States should have no formal, legal alliance with any religion :- Many non-theocratic states have a close alliance with a particular religion.

For example- England in the 17 th century was not run by a priestly class but clearly favoured the Anglican Church and its members. England had an established Anglican religion, which was the official religion of the states. Today Pakistan has an official state religion, namely Islam. Such regimes may leave little scope for internal dissent on religious equality.

Two modes of secularism

1.western secularism.

All secular states have one thing in common, they are neither theocratic nor do they establish a religion.

Features of the Western concept of secularism:

State and religion have a separate sphere of its own, with independent jurisdiction i.e. Mutual exclusion of state and religion, the principled distance of state from religion and no illegitimate intrusion of religion in the state.
The state cannot aid any religious institutions.
The state cannot hinder the activities of religious communities as long as they are within the broad limits set up by the law of the land.

For example – if religious women forbid a woman from becoming a priest, then the states cannot do anything. Like this, if a particular religion forbids the entry of some of its members in the sanctum of its temple, then the states have no option but to let the matter rest exactly where it is.

Such states focus on intra-religious domination by the strict separation of state from religion to realise among other things individual freedoms, issues of inter-religious (and therefore minority rights) equality are often neglected. This model leaves no scope for the idea of the state-supported religious reforms.

2. Indian Secularism

Nehru’s view was – “ Equal protection by the state to all religion “. He wanted a secular state to be one that “protects all religions but does not favour one at the expense of others and does not itself adopt any religion as the state religion.”

Indian secularism is fundamentally different from western secularism. It does not focus only on Church-State separation and the idea of inter-religious equality is crucial to the Indian conception.

There was already a culture of inter-religious ‘tolerance’ in India. Tolerance is compatible with religious domination. It may allow some space to everyone but such freedom is usually limited.

The advent of western modernity, brought to the notice, neglected and marginalized notions of equality in Indian thought. It ushered ideas of inter-community equality to replace the notion of hierarchy. Its operation is done through three factors- Scientific and rational education, Legislation, social reforms, Urbanization and industrialization.

So, Indian secularism took on a distinct form as a result of an interaction between what already existed in a society that had religious diversity and the ideas that came from the west. It resulted in an equal focus on intra-religious and inter-religious domination.

Major concerns regarding Secularism:

The grievance of the majority Hindus that rules, regulations and restrictions are applicable only to their religious institutions.
Non-implementation of the uniform civil code.
Appeasement of radical and orthodox Muslim elements by the passage of Muslim Women’s Divorce Act.
Propagation of religion and large scale religious conversions by Muslims and Christians especially in the tribal belts and among poor people.
Provision of unjustified protection to minority educational institutions.

Thus, we can conclude that India is totally secular constitutionally but socially it is not.

UPSC Mains 2019 General Studies 1 (GS 1 ) Questions

UPSC Mains 2019 General Studies 2 (GS 2 ) Questions

UPSC Mains 2019 General Studies 3 (GS 3 ) Questions

UPSC Mains 2019 General Studies 4 (GS 4 ) Questions

Measures to make India truly Secular :

Separation of religion from politics

Suitable legislation has to be immediately passed to separate religion from politics.

Right to propagate religion

There is considerable controversy over placing Right to propagate religion as a fundamental right. In this area, there have been many verdicts delivered by the Supreme Court and the High Court all of which have stated that the right to propagation is not a right to conversion. This problem has to be addressed by removing the word “propagation” from Article 25.

Withdrawing protection of minority educational institutions

Article 30(1) of the constitution gives the right to minority educational institutes the right to establish and administer educational institutions. There was significant opposition to this article in the Constituent assembly. It is the right time to do away with this right as it encourages separate identities and undermines the spread of secular education. With globalization and spread of information technology, there is no justification to continue this right even to linguistic minorities.

Rationalize prohibition of cow slaughter

There is no universal demand for the ban of cow slaughter form all the Hindus and the prohibition cannot only be solely justified only based on the religious sentiments of the Hindus. This demand is unviable especially in drought-hit areas in a number of states like Maharashtra.

Restructuring police departments

Weaknesses and inadequacies of police have been attributed for starting or escalating of communal violence. Politicization and Communalization of police in various states have to be prohibited.

A Commission on secularism

A commission on secularism has to be set up by amending the constitution to ensure adherence to the constitutional mandate on secularism. The commission should be made to be presided over by a former chief justice of India. The report of the commission has to be submitted to the Parliament and also has to be simultaneously released to media and public.

Questions Asked for mains 2019

What can France learn from the Indian Constitution’s approach to secularism ?

Download Mains Previous Year Question Paper

Secularism and Communal harmony

Categories Society: Diverse Elements
Published 7th Jun, 2022

Introduction:

“Always aim at complete harmony of thought and word and deed. Always aim at purifying your thoughts and everything will be well.” Mahatma Gandhi

The term ‘secularism’ is known to have originated in late medieval Europe coined first by English secularist, co-operator, and newspaper editor George Jacob Holyoake and was modelled on the theory that governments ought to have no religious connection , nor indeed anything to do with matters of religious belief or ritual.
Secularism, socio-communal harmony and tolerance have been the essence of India. India is the world's hub of spiritual values and that is why it is the biggest secular democracy in the world.

Meaning of Secularism:

It is necessary to understand that secularism does not mean being irreligious or anti-religious . The term pseudo-secularism is used only for political purposes. In fact, secularism implies equality of all religions and religious tolerance. It may be appreciated in two contexts: state context and individual context.
State context: In the state context it means that India does not have an official state religion. The government must not favour or discriminate against any religion . It must treat all religions with equal respect.
All citizens, irrespective of their religious beliefs are equal in the eyes of law . No religious instruction is imparted in government or government-aided schools. But the general information about all established world religions may be imparted, without giving any importance to any one religion or the others.
Individual context: It means ‘ sarva dharma samabhava’, equal respect for all religions. Every person has the right to preach, practice and propagate any religion they choose. Every citizen must treat all religions
The conjoint reading of all these Articles makes it evident that the intention of the Constitutional fathers was neither to oppose religion nor to promote rationalization of culture .
The Constitution makers had sensed the negative potential of communalism . That is why the Constitution declares India to be a secular State. Although the original Constitution had many provisions to promote secularism, the continued reappearance of communalism demanded reassertion. Consequentially, it was made one of the basic pillars of Indian democracy and the word ‘secular’ was inserted into the Preamble of the Constitution by the 42 nd Constitutional Amendment Act in 1976.

There are two main concepts of secularism:

Western concept:
The Western concept of secularism is based on the ideas of Thomas Jefferson . He had said in 1908, "erecting the wall of separation between Church and State is absolutely essential in a free society". According to him, there ought to be a separation between religious institutions from the institution of States.
Freedom of conscience for individuals circumscribed only by the need for public order and respecting other individuals' rights is a guiding principle . Meaning that if one religion is practised by an individual and this practice infringes upon the rights of followers of other faiths, restrictions can be imposed on the former. Thomas Jefferson held the opinion that there should not be any discrimination against individuals on the basis of their religion.
The western conceptualization of secularism began in the 19th century. The term secularism was coined by British reformer Jackob Holyoke in 1851. He used this term to describe his views of promoting a social order separate from religion without criticizing religious beliefs.
Indian concept: The Indian constitution mandates that the Indian state be secular. After independence, a new concept of secularism emerged, which was closer to the views of both Gandhi and Nehru. Independent India adopted the following ideas of secularism:
The State shall permit freedom of practising any religion.
The State shall not associate with any religion.
The State shall honour all faiths of equality.

The first two are similar to the western concept, whereas the third one is the innovative idea for Indian secularism.

Why is it Important to Separate Religion from the State?

The most important aspect of secularism is its separation of religion from state power . This is important for a country to function democratically.

It enables the country to function democratically.
The people belonging to the minority communities can otherwise be harmed by the domination of the majority and there can be an infringement of their Fundamental Rights.
Individuals can exit from their religion and another religion can be embraced by them through Secularism . According to the law, people can interpret religious teachings in different ways.

Secularism in the History of India

Secular traditions are very deep-rooted in the history of India. Indian culture is based on the blending of various spiritual traditions and social movements.
The development of the four Vedas and the various interpretations of the Upanishads and the Puranas clearly highlight the religious plurality of Hinduism.
Emperor Ashoka was the first great emperor to announce, as early as the third century B.C. that, the state would not prosecute any religious sect.
In his 12 th Rock Edict, Ashoka appealed not only for the toleration of all religious sects but also to develop a spirit of great respect toward them.
Even after the advent of Jainism, Buddhism and later Islam and Christianity on the Indian soil, the quest for religious toleration and coexistence of different faiths continued.
In medieval India, the Sufi and Bhakti movements bond the people of various communities together with love and peace.
The leading lights of these movements were Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti, Baba Farid, Sant Kabir Das, Guru Nanak Dev, Saint Tukaram and Mira Bai
In medieval India, religious toleration and freedom of worship marked the State under He had a number of Hindus as his ministers, forbade forcible conversions and abolished Jizya.
The Indian freedom movement was characterized by secular tradition and ethos right from the start. The constitution drafted by Pandit Moti Lal Nehru as the chairman of the historic Nehru Committee i n 1928, had many provisions on secularism as: ‘There shall be no state religion for the commonwealth of India or for any province in the commonwealth, nor shall the state, either directly or indirectly, endow any religion any preference or impose any disability on account of religious beliefs or religious status.

In the present scenario, in the context of India, the separation of religion from the state constitutes the core of the philosophy of secularism.

Steps Taken to Protect Secularism in India:

The following steps are taken by Indian State to protect Secularism in India:

Various strategies are taken to keep a distance from religion. No religion is displayed or promoted in government offices such as law courts, police stations, government schools, etc.
The strategy of non-interference is adopted by the Govt. According to the above-mentioned fact, religions of all religious communities are given equal respect. There are a few exceptions in this case.
A strategy of intervention is also adopted . The laws related to equivalent legacy rights are respected and the religion-based ‘personal laws’ of communities can be intervened by the State to ensure the same.
The intervention of the State can also be in the form of assistance . One example of it is the establishment of schools and colleges by the religious communities and the fact that they are mostly granted by the Government of India. Financial aid is also given to these communities on a non-preferential basis.

Understanding Communalism:

Communalism is described as an ideology stating the division between states (people, groups of people or communities) based on ethnicity, religion, beliefs, values, etc. The difference of two or more religious, ethnic and social communities can sometimes produce clashes in the society. Communalism essentially has the following main features.
It is based on orthodoxy.
It is exclusive in outlook; a communalist considers his own religion to be superior to
other religions.
It is based on intolerance.
It also propagates an intense dislike of other religions.
It stands for the elimination of other religions and their values.
It adopts extremist tactics including the use of violence against other people
Communalism has been one of the most complex problems that India has been facing. This is generated when individuals belonging to one religion develop an excessive affinity to their religion and hatred towards other religions.
This kind of feeling promotes religious fundamentalism and fanaticism and proves to be dangerous for the unity and integrity of the country. It is more so for a country like India where people practise all the major religions of the world.
India has been suffering from communalism since independence . As we know, we faced the worst kind of communal riots on the eve of independence , and even after. There have been many communal riots in various parts of the country, inflicting immense suffering on the people.
The ideology that rises from the religious pluralism , and is to be considered as a social menace. Communalism can also be defined as a tool that is given rise to, in the presence of diverse religions, to gain political benefits in a state. The issues attached to Communalism are:
It is a threat to national integrity
It is a catalyst for political and social tensions in the state
It leads to divisions between the people, groups of communities or groups of states in the country
It is attached to the rivalry of one religion, beliefs, values etc. against another’s.
Active hostility or opposition toward others’ religions and beliefs often leads to issues in society.

Religious pluralism is the state of being where every individual in a religiously diverse society has the rights, freedoms, and safety to worship, or not, according to their conscience.

Communalism has divided our society for a long. It causes belief in orthodox tenets and principles, intolerance hatred of other religions and religious groups, distortion of historical facts and communal violence.

Sometimes, the concept ‘Communalism’ is defined in three ways:

Political Communalism: To survive in the sphere of politics, leaders tend to implicitly promote the idea of divisions among the communities. This gives rise to political communalism where different sets of people are divided into political lines and ideologies.
Social Communalism: When the societies’ beliefs divide these into different groups and lead to rivalry among each other, it further leads to Social Communalism.
Economic Communalism: The difference in economic interests of the groups of people or communities, leading to further clashes in the society, can be termed as Economic Communalism.

Factors Responsible for Communal Violence:

Divisive Politics – Communalism is often defined as a political doctrine that makes use of religious and cultural differences in achieving political gains.
Economic Causes – Uneven development, class divisions, poverty and unemployment aggravate insecurity in the common men which makes them vulnerable to political manipulation.
History of Communal Riots – The probability of recurrence of communal riots in a town where communal riots have already taken place once or twice is stronger than in a town where such riots have never occurred.
Politics of Appeasement – Prompted by political considerations, and guided by their vested interests, political parties take decisions which promote communal violence.
Isolation and Economic Backwardness of Muslim Community – The failure to adopt scientific and technological education and thus, insufficient representation in the public service, industry and trade etc has led to the feeling of relative deprivation among Muslims. The resurgence of Hindu-Muslim economic competition, especially among the lower- and middle-class strata has fuelled the communal ideology.
Administrative Failure – A weak law and order are one of the causes of communal violence.
Psychological Factors – The lack of interpersonal trust and mutual understanding between two communities often result in the perception of threat, harassment, fear and danger in one community against the members of the other community, which in turn leads to fighting, hatred and anger-phobia.
Role of Media – It is often accused of sensationalism and disseminates rumours as "news" which sometimes resulted in further tension and riots between two rival religious groups.
Social media has also emerged as a powerful medium to spread messages relating to communal tension or riot in any part of the country.

Consequences Of Communalism:

Voters generally vote on communal lines . After getting elected, the representatives try to safeguard the interests of their community and ignore national interests. These conditions hinder the progress of democracy in the country.
It becomes a threat to the unity and integrity of the nation as a whole . It promotes only the feeling of hatred in all directions, dividing society into communal lines.
Communalism is an obstacle in the development of the country . Communal activities occurring frequently do harm the human resource and economy of the country and act as a barrier to the development of the nation. India has a legacy of unity and diversity which has to be maintained through the promotion of communal harmony.
The investment attitude towards the country from foreign investors would be cautious ; they tend to avoid the countries with a highly communal country, for not take the risk of ending up losing their investment.
The flow of labour from productive activities is diverted to unproductive activities ; there is massive destruction of public properties to spread the ideology.
It causes hatred among different religious sections in society and disrupts the peaceful social fabric of our society.

Communal Harmony:

India is a country of a multi-ethnic culture where people belonging to different religious, racial, cultural and lingual identities live together harmoniously . However, in the present time, various untoward incidents are affecting communal harmony in different parts of the country.
Communalism is the most serious threat to our sovereign, secular, socialist and democratic polity. The number of communal incidents is increasing day by day, which is not a good sign for our democracy. India is known for communal harmony which has to be maintained . Communal harmony is the hallmark of democracy in a country governed by the rule of law.
Rule of law pervades over the entire field of administration and every organ of the state is regulated and governed by the Rule of law. It is an eternal value of constitutionalism and the inherent attribute of democracy and good governance has to be maintained.

Gandhian perspective on Communal Harmony:

Gandhi had faith in the Vedantic doctrine of Unitism, which says all ‘men are part of one universal existence. All men are essentially one member of one family. So, an individual who wants to realize his true self must regard the good of all as his own good and dedicate himself to the service of all. The Father of the Nation said that the essence of true religious teaching is that one should serve and befriend all.
Mahatma Gandhi was a champion of communal harmony and wanted all Indians, be they of any religion, to unite against the colonial government. He never found serious differences between the Hindus and Muslims and other minority communities like the Christians and the Sikhs or Parsis. Gandhiji saw an inviolable harmony existing in all creation enshrined in all religions, and it was this principle that led him to accord equal respect to all faiths. He stressed upon universal peace, brotherhood, and reverence for all life.

Initiatives Taken by Government for Maintaining Peace and Harmony:

National Integration Council (NIC) : In 1960 the Government constituted the National Integration Council (NIC) as well as in 1992, the National Foundation for Communal Harmony was set up under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 as an autonomous organisation for promoting and strengthening communal harmony, national integration as well as fostering unity through collaborative social action, awareness programmes, reaching out to the victims of communal violence, encouraging interfaith dialogue for India’s shared security, peace and prosperity.
The Religious Institutions (Prevention of Misuse) Act, 1988 : It was enacted by the Parliament for maintaining the sanctity of religious places and to prevent their misuse for political, criminal, subversive or communal purposes. Under this law, it is the duty of the manager to inform the police in the event of misuse of the place of worship. The Act also prohibits the storage of arms and ammunition inside any place of worship.
The Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act 1991: It was passed to prohibit conversion of any place of worship and to provide for the maintenance of the religious character of any place of worship as it existed on the 15th day of August 1947.

The ongoing row over the Gyanvapi Masjid that is situated adjacent to the Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, has again brought to the fore the controversy around The Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991 after the Ayodhya Ram Janmabhoomi Verdict.

Guidelines on Communal Harmony, 2008: The Ministry of Home Affairs issued a guideline to prevent and avoid communal disturbances/riots and in the event of such disturbances occurring, action to control the same and measures to provide assistance, relief and rehabilitation to the affected persons.
Communal Violence Prevention Bill, 2010 is yet to see the daylight as the bill has been pending for years now. If passed and enacted, it could help control the menace of communal violence.

Conclusion:

In a pluralistic society, the best approach to nurture secularism is to expand religious freedom rather than strictly practising state neutrality . It is incumbent on us to ensure value education that makes the younger generation understands and appreciates not only its own religious traditions but also those of the other religions in the country.
There is also a need to identify a common framework or a shared set of values which allows the diverse groups to live together. The prerequisites to implementing the social reform initiative like Uniform Civil Code are to create a conducive environment and forging socio-political consensus.
There is a need to maintain communal harmony is the country. In this regard, police reform is necessary because, after every communal riot, questions have been raised about whether our police are neutral or communal.
Communal harmony is paramount in any country that has multiple religions and communities. We must strive hard to train and educate people in harmonious cohabitation . Where it is necessary, we may introduce some laws and regulations also. There is also a need to teach mutual tolerance and harmony so that every citizen of the country governed by the rule of law can live in peace and harmony. But all that should promote harmony.

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Supreme Court recent interpretation on Secularism

Two-judge bench rejects PIL to restore original names of ancient cultural, historical and religious places that had purportedly been rechristened by Mughals.
Supreme Court said “ The State “must be guided by the sublime realisation that Bharat is a secular nation committed to securing fundamental rights to all sections as contemplated in the Constitution.

Constitutional Secularism and Party-Political Secularism:

Constitutional secularism:

It is marked by critical respect for all religions and is not anti-religious.
It acknowledges the need for the state to maintain a principled distance from all religions and intervene when religious groups promote communal disharmony or discrimination.
Such intervention could be either due to inter-religious issues or intra-religious issues, such as the inability of religious groups to protect their own members from oppression.
This form of secularism requires a collective commitment from the judiciary, media, civil society activists, and citizens.

Party-Political secularism:

It is characterized by opportunism and alliances with religious communities for immediate electoral benefits.
It has often been involved in controversial issues, such as the Babri Masjid/Ram temple case and the Shah Bano case.
It is a doctrine that has removed the values from the core idea of secularism, replaced them with opportunism, and has been complicit in igniting communal violence.

Positive and Negative Secularism:

The Need for Secularism to Preserve Diversity in India

Promotes Equality: Secularism ensures that all religions are treated equally by the state, which is crucial in a diverse country like India where a multitude of religions coexist.
Prevents Discrimination: By separating the state from religion, secularism helps to prevent discrimination on the basis of religion. It provides a framework for the state to make decisions without favoring or disadvantaging any particular religion.
Upholds Democratic Values: Secularism upholds democratic values by ensuring freedom of religion. It gives individuals the freedom to choose, change, and practice their religion, or to not follow any religion at all.
Promotes Unity: By treating all religions equally, secularism can help to promote unity among people of different faiths. It helps to foster a sense of shared citizenship and national identity, despite religious differences.
Protects Minority Rights: In a diverse society, secularism is crucial for protecting the rights of religious minorities. It ensures that minority religions are not marginalized or disadvantaged by the state.
Supports Social Harmony: By providing a neutral platform where religious differences are respected, secularism supports social harmony. It helps to reduce religious conflict and promote peaceful coexistence.

Positive Aspects of Secularism in India

Religious Freedom: Secularism guarantees the freedom of individuals to practice and propagate their religion without interference or discrimination.
Preventing Religious Conflict: By keeping religion separate from politics, secularism helps mitigate potential conflicts and tensions arising from religious differences
Protection of Religious Freedom: Secularism guarantees the freedom of individuals to choose and practise their religion without discrimination or persecution.
Social Cohesion: Secularism promotes unity and harmony among people from different religious backgrounds, fostering a sense of inclusivity and national integration.
Equality and Justice: Secularism ensures equal treatment and protection of rights for all citizens, regardless of their religious beliefs.
Protection of Minority Rights: It safeguards the rights and interests of religious minorities, preventing their marginalisation and ensuring their participation in society.
Democratic Values: Secularism upholds the democratic principles of pluralism, tolerance, and respect for diverse opinions and beliefs.

Challenges to Secularism

Promoting Secularism and Inclusive Education: Examples from India

Ayodhya Verdict: In 2019, the Supreme Court delivered a landmark judgment on the Ayodhya land dispute, providing a peaceful resolution to the long-standing dispute between Hindu and Muslim communities. The judgment focused on the secular principles of law and ensured the construction of a temple for Hindus and a mosque for Muslims in separate locations.
National Education Policy 2020: It aims to promote a secular and inclusive education system. It emphasizes the importance of imparting values of tolerance, harmony, and respect for diversity among students, fostering a secular mindset from an early age.

Conclusion : Secularism in India is a foundational principle that ensures religious freedom and equality for all citizens. It has promoted social harmony and diversity, allowing people of different faiths to coexist peacefully. However, challenges such as communal tensions and political exploitation of religious identities persist. Upholding secular values, fostering interfaith dialogue, and promoting inclusive policies are crucial for maintaining a pluralistic society and strengthening the fabric of Indian democracy.

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Secularism in India – Features, Impact and Problems | UPSC – IAS

Blue – N o official religion | Red – States with Religion

Secularism in India – Features, Impact and Problems | UPSC – IAS

The concept of secularism as embodied in the Constitution of India cannot be viewed in the sense in which it is viewed in the West, but in the context of the following provisions of the Constitution:

The Constitution guarantees:-

Freedom of conscience,
Freedom to profess, practice and propagate religion and
also F reedom to establish religious institutions and manage or administer their affairs .
It prohibits discrimination on grounds of religion and
Guarantees legal and social equality to all by providing for equality before law and Equal protection of laws , prohibiting discrimination with regard to places of public importance and
Providing for equal opportunity in matters of public employment .
The Constitution also guarantees religious minorities the right to conserve their script, language and culture.

The provisions would naturally indicate that the Constitution of India endeavors to build up in India the philosophy of secularism on freedom, equality and tolerance in the field of religion. And viewed in this context it is clear that the Constitution does not build a wall of separation between the state and religion.

Thus, the distinguishing features of a secular democracy as contemplated by the constitution are:

That the state will not identify itself with or be controlled by any religion;
While the state guarantees to everyone the right to profess whatever religion one chooses to follow (which includes also the right to be an agnostic or an atheist), it will not accord any preferential treatment to any of them;
That no discrimination will be shown by the state against any person on account of his religion and faith;
That the right of every citizen, subject to any general condition to enter any office under the state will be equal to that of his fellow citizens.

Although the term secularism was not in the original text of the Constitution, secularism was a subject of animated discussion when the Constituent Assembly look up for consideration the provisions dealing with the freedom of religion.

Indian Constitution the Supreme Court observed : “There is no mysticism in the secular character of the state. Secularism is neither anti-God nor pro-God; it treats alike the devout, the agnostic and the atheist . It eliminates God from the matter of the state and ensures no one shall be discriminated against on the ground of religion.

Basic outline of the secularism is enshrined in the following Articles of the Constitution:

Preamble: It is true that the word ‘secular’ did not first occur either in Article 25 or 26 or in any other Article or Preamble of the Constitution. But the Constitution (42nd Amendment) Act, 1976, the Preamble was amended and for the words ‘ Sovereign Democratic Republic ‘ the words ‘ Sovereign , socialist, secular , Democratic Republic’ were substituted.
No State Religion.

It follows from that:

No religious instruction shall be provided in any educational institution wholly run by state funds.
Even though religious instruction is imparted in educational institutions recognised by state or receiving aid from the state, no person at lending such institution shall be compelled to receive that religious instruction without the consent of himself or of his guardian. In short, while religious instruction is totally banned in state-owned educational institutions, in other denominational institutions it is not totally prohibited but it must not be imposed upon people of other religions without their consent (Article 28).
Freedom of Conscience: Every person is guaranteed the freedom of conscience and the freedom to profess, practice and propagate his own religion, subject only:
to restrictions imposed by the state on the interest of public order, morality and health.
to regulations or restrictions made by state relating, to any economic, financial, political or outer secular activity which may be associated with religious practice, but do not really related to the freedom of conscience;
to measures of social reform and for throwing open of Hindu religious institutions of a public character to all classes and sections of Hindus.

Freedom to Manage Religious Affairs:

To establish and maintain institutions (or religious and charitable purposes.
To manage its own affairs in matters of religion;
To own and acquire movable and immovable property; and
To administer such property in accordance with law (Article 26)

Conclusion| UPSC IAS

Secularism has to play a decisive role at present stage of Indian democracy.
It is so because today when the Indian democracy seems to face the challenge of narrow divisive trends and tendencies, a rational and scientific approach which is the basis of secularism has become a matter of utmost importance.
Communal disturbances which have distinguished the public life in the recent past, as well the birth and growth of narrow and divisive trends and obscurantist theories are mainly the result of ignorance can be fought not by legislation alone, nor by a negative fiat alone, but by education, and in the process of educating the traditional Indian mind, secularism and all that it stands for the political leaders have to play a major role.

Essay on the Indian Model of Secularism

October 9, 2019 by Sandeep

According to the definition of ‘ secularism ’ as mentioned in the 42nd amendment of constitution, it is nothing but fair and equal treatment to all religions in our country. The Preamble of our constitution has hereby declared our nation as a secular country on the grounds of equality to all religions.

Secularisation of Indian Society

In the Indian context, secularisation can be broadly understood as religion on one side and other aspects of society on the other. These other aspects include social, economic, political, cultural, legal factors etc. Secular beliefs have actually risen above one’s personal beliefs and have gone on to be a pawn for one’s utility.

Our reservation system gives special provisions to minorities and backward castes, so religion is used for more than one’s personal cause. In India religious practices and values are also of utmost importance.

India is a land of many religions. Sometimes the sentiments of one religion gets hurt by a group that speaks against that religion leading to communal tension and violence. Every person is granted freedom by the constitution to practice the religion of his choice.

The constitution as such does not consider any religion to be more superior than the others. All religions are equal in front of law.

Religious rites and rituals are carried out according to the norms of respective religion. Non interference to the norms of respective religion. Non interference in religion is a must.

Secularisation of groups & communities

We proudly call our nation a progressive country because we are tolerant towards different religious practices and respect individual beliefs.

From prominence to religion, we are now progressing towards a more secular approach. People from different groups and communities are now more educated in our country and there is increased awareness with modernisation.

But modern beliefs amongst groups and various communities have no specific link with religious beliefs and secularism. For example, we can see that many Hindu temples have become broad minded in their approach and open their gates for all groups of people.

But when it comes to people from a different religion all together, laws are enforced. Restrictions are imposed. Thus, modernism has nothing to do with secularism.

This also implies that a secular feeling may exist among different groups and communities of one religion but not necessarily a co-existing value with different religions. So, the idea of secularism is a debatable question at the national level. The pride of nationalism for a citizen should be certainly above his personal religious beliefs and values.

Only then our country can become a completely secular nation. Political interference to split a religion based on ideologies of different groups should be first curbed to achieve higher level of liberty among different religions and religious beliefs.

Religion and Politics in India

Religion has become an integral part of Indian life. For a common man, the way he lives, the lifestyle he chooses for himself, the clothes he wears, the foods he prefers to eat, the places he chooses to visit or stay, etc. everything has a religious affiliation at least to some extent. This exactly is encashed by politicians especially during elections.

If a particular region is dominated by a particular group of people belonging to a certain religion, then the election for that region will see a candidate right from that religion only. For example, if a Hindu Brahmin dominated region exists in a certain part of our country, it is very common to see a brahmin candidate contest election from that constituency.

Religion and politics are like needle and thread in our country. Political leaders encash the religious feeling of people for their selfish benefits.

Among older politicians of our country, Nehru and Gandhiji advocated for a secular establishment in our country. Political advantage based on religion, caste, creed and communal interests was prevalent from a long time in India. These leaders tried to bring in a sense of brotherhood among different religions, but were not quite successful at it.

We can see religious places of interest being exploited by big politicians to gain personal milenge and forcefully imbibe religious attitude and differentiation among people. Human faith is at a loss due to politicisation of our religious beliefs.

Triple Talaq

It is a practice in Islamic religion where a husband can get divorce from his wife just by calling out ‘Talaq’ three times. The Muslim communities follow this type of divorce system. Under the Modi Government, a bill has been passed to amend laws regarding the same and abolishment of Triple Talaq has received both positive and negative feedback’s from the community.

A ban on Triple Talaq is on the grounds and is to be waited and watched when it will become a reality. Under Triple Talaq, it is only the men who can make use of the system to get a divorce from his wife by pronouncing ‘Talaq’ three times. Whereas for a women to get divorce from her husband, she needs to fight a legal battle in court to get separated.

This system followed in the Muslim religion as per Islamic beliefs and laws questions the very basic rights and dignity of Muslim women Muslim women always lead their lives in fear of being divorced by their husbands for no legitimate or valid reason. In other countries like Pakistan and Bangladesh, this system has been totally banned.

This creates gross injustice and discrimination against women, which is unlawful in the Indian Constitution . Interests of women need to be legally protected and religion should not become a deterrent to enforce equality and justice to women. Thus on many grounds, secularism is evaded in our country due to intolerance and misguided faiths within a particular religion.

Universal Civil Code

The question of a uniform civil code has come more into the picture recently because many women belonging to the muslim community are supporting a ban on Triple Talaq. They are knocking on the doors of justice seeking their empowerment and liberation in society.

This scenario has indirectly propelled a transformation, calling for creation of a uniform civil code in the country. Uniform civil code creates uniform laws for all citizens of this country and removes and bans personal laws created by different religions for their own individual practice.

A common set of rules for every citizen, irrespective of his religion/caste/creed/community is the basic ground line of uniform civil code.

A universal civil code approach has also been mentioned under the directive principles of state policy under our constitution but its enforcement is yet to be legally finalised and approved. India is the largest democracy in the world. A secular country with common civil laws above individual religious personal laws should be the first and foremost goal of any progressive and developing republic.

This in turn provides equality among all citizens and upholds the national integrity of our nation. It brings in a higher sense of secularism, tolerance towards all religions and above all, a dignified feeling of nationalism amongst its citizens. It helps to establish gender equality, bans the system of discrimination based on reservation, upholds the dignity of women. Due to diversity and interference in political views at the national level, it is a difficult task to practically implement it in our country.

Personal Laws of Indian Religions

In India, different religions like Hindu, Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists etc have their own set of personal laws that conform to the values laid down in their respective religion. When it comes to marriage/divorce, succession, adoption, disputes etc, these laws are referred to in order to resolve the matter.

Hindu laws have their own way of declaring a marriage with legal status, much different from the Muslim way of doing it. This is good for the other religions also.

Personal laws of different religions bring down the feeling of secularism and promote discrimination. The so-called secular country is actually very adamant in its approach to revive and reform age-gold personal laws of religion. Most of these laws have become outdated and do not stand the test of time.

A progressive country like India which boasts of secular powers at the forefront should ban different personal laws of various religions and implement a uniform civil code. Civil laws that are common set of rules should be enacted and implemented so that every citizen thinks of his nation above his religion.

A rational approach in this regard will help women attain greater prominence in society. Personal laws hinder justice to women, they create and empower a male-chauvinistic society which isn’t good.

Spirituality and Scientific temper

The relationship between spirituality and religious ideologies is totally different. In fact spirituality has nothing to do with any religion. Spirituality heals the mind, body and soul irrespective of their personal religious beliefs and values.

In India, we have a progressive sect of younger generation that is rising today against the odds and evens of religious restriction, in search of true meaning of life.

Religion, across different pathways holds its own set of orthodox practices and blind beliefs. What one religion practices can be found in other different ways in another religion. Accepting the differences and living in a society by gathering those collective differences can lead to a secular society.

There are many blind beliefs carried out even today in the name of religion and tradition. Some have a scientific explanation to them, some do not have. For example, piercing a baby’s ear is considered sacred in Hindu traditions. If we attach scientific explanation to them, we can understand that it helps in bringing about motor balance to babies.

But this belief may occur as a disbelief among other religions. If other religions were to not interfere in such matters and left it as is, then the society would become a habitat for better harmony and coexistence.

Our national leaders always call for a modernised, secular, welfare state. This dream would be possible only when we follow our religions traditions, yet progress ahead by inducing scientific temper in our minds.

Science and Mysticism

The whole definition of science is based on reasoning. Everything in and around us happens for a reason. Religion places due importance on an unseen, inexperienced force called ‘God’. Science explains this ‘mystic’ force not in the form of ‘God’, but as a fall of events occurring in nature.

Nature unfolds many secrets, nature is a bounty where creation and destruction happens alongside. Science has no place in religion. Religion relies on the worship of God. Science believes in natural forces.

We must understand that there is only one creator who creates and destroys in the universe, it’s only that we know him and worship him in different ways and different names. Thus we have so many religions and beliefs but the ultimate goal of all religions is the same.

Religions should bring a sense of unity amongst different groups of people. We have different religions in the world, because different groups of people cater to different values, beliefs and ideologies.

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‘Secularism vs Indian Culture’ – UPSC Mains Question Triggers Hot Debates

Last updated on September 30, 2023 by Alex Andrews George

Some questions framed by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) in the Civil Services Main Exam 2019 have turned controversial.

One such question was about an allegedly distorted question on secularism.

Table of Contents

“Challenges to our cultural practices in the name of secularism”

The highly esteemed recruitment body, UPSC, entrusted with selecting candidates for top bureaucratic positions like IAS , IPS , IFS, etc. received flak from many quarters for asking the question “ What are the challenges to our cultural practices in the name of secularism? ” in General Studies Paper 1 of Civil Services Examination, conducted on 21-09-2019.

In Hindi, the question was: धर्मनिरपेक्षता के नाम पर हमारी सांस्कृतिक प्रथाओं के सामने क्या क्या चुनौतियाँ हैं (Dharma nirpekshta ke naam par hamari sanskritik prathao ke samne kya kya chunautiyan hain?)

Many aspirants felt surprised and disappointed to be asked to write against a core value of the Indian Constitution – secularism. The question came with prejudice that there are some or many challenges to our cultural practices in the name of secularism.

Unfortunately, UPSC didn’t phrase the question with any directives like ‘critically examine’, which should have been there – to present both sides, if it has.

Journalist, Ajaml Aramam strongly criticized the above question, even mentioning that this is the fall of the great Indian Civil Service. He was pointing fingers at the seemingly right-wing bias of the question.

“Steady GDP growth of India”

General Studies Paper 3, conducted on 22-09-2019, had another question that raised a few eyebrows. This was the question:

“ Do you agree with the view that steady GDP growth and low inflation have left the Indian economy in good shape? Give reasons in support of your arguments. (Answer in 150 words)”

This question is too prejudged. It predisposes two ideas (1) India has steady GDP growth (2) India has low inflation. Aspirants were given only a choice to mention if they consider the Indian economy as in good shape or not and then give their arguments.

Well-read aspirants who know that Indian GDP growth was down to a 6-year low in Q1 of 2019 found this question strange.

However, these questions were exceptions; there were a lot of deep thought-provoking questions

After analyzing all papers of UPSC Mains 2019, I feel the above two questions were exceptions. Most of the other questions were meticulously crafted and spot-on.

You can read our analysis of the UPSC Question Papers (2019) from the below links:

Essay Paper Analysis
GS Paper 1 Analysis
GS Paper 2 Analysis
GS Paper 3 Analysis
GS Paper 4 Analysis

UPSC has a high reputation for being unbiased and impartial in selection. In the same exam, this year, UPSC even asked a question in the Ethics Paper (General Studies Paper 4) to write about the consequences of this ‘politicization of bureaucracy.

Given a choice between Indian Culture and Secularism, how would you answer?

Commenting on the matter, Kannan Gopinathan – an IAS officer who quit the services recently over the clampdown in Jammu and Kashmir following the abrogation of Article 370, commented on Twitter: “Indian secularism is a positive concept, taking along and encouraging all the cultural practices while instilling a scientific temper against superstitions and harmful practices”, would have been the first sentence of my answer!”

“Indian secularism is a positive concept, taking along and encouraging all the cultural practices while instilling a scientific temper against superstitions and harmful practices.”, would have been the first sentence of my answer! https://t.co/MUsCYlh0OZ — Kannan Gopinathan (@naukarshah) 22 September 2019

How would you answer the “Secularism Question”: The ClearIAS challenge to our readers

As a patriotic Indian, what is your opinion about the ‘Secularism Question’ asked in the UPSC Civil Services Exam?

Given a chance, how would you answer it?

Post your answers in about 150 words in the comment section below.

The best answers will be highlighted and rewarded.

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About Alex Andrews George

Alex Andrews George is a mentor, author, and social entrepreneur. Alex is the founder of ClearIAS and one of the expert Civil Service Exam Trainers in India.

He is the author of many best-seller books like 'Important Judgments that transformed India' and 'Important Acts that transformed India'.

A trusted mentor and pioneer in online training , Alex's guidance, strategies, study-materials, and mock-exams have helped many aspirants to become IAS, IPS, and IFS officers.

Reader Interactions

September 23, 2019 at 11:23 am

The Preamble of the Indian Constitution declares India as a Secular Republic, which means that secularism is one of the founding principles of the nation. As per various Supreme Court judgements, it is part of the basic structure of the Constitution. The Constitution makers of India saw Indian culture as a composite one with multicultural and plural ethos. The secularism of India is not anti religious or irreligious. It is the secular nature of the state which prevents one culture from dominating another. It supports pluralism. Culture is a dynamic one. It changes with time. Some practices of Indian culture are superstitious and inhumane. The Indian state which follows principled distance from all religions, interferes when the practices or customs seem to infringe any rights of the individual. It also gives protection to minority culture and also promotes tribal languages and practices. So we can say that rather than being a challenge to the culture, the secular nature of India protects and promotes the culture. We should also remind that the secularism which India has adopted is not an imported one but which had a long history in India ‘s pluralism.

September 23, 2019 at 11:32 am

@ Midhun – Excellent. Well written. You not only explained the reality that culture changes with time but also the secular nature of India protects and promotes the culture. Brilliant.

September 23, 2019 at 11:52 am

Religion is a term has been derived from the Latin word Religare to say as binding. India is a nation to create many religions from the aspect of several containing thought. In this case if all the people are to bind then a deliberate attempt to provide all the religions an equal position secularism is needed. In this connection the very first chapter in the Indian Constitution namely Preamble has deeply greeted every religion as equal so the Indian secularism idea is different from the thought of Western which does not give religion any good position unless a revolt is occurring. So the visualization of secularism in India has been much institutionalized. So it’s citing rather the very basic of framing India as it is. So in total if the religion is being considered as the entry point of Indian culture then secularism is a good help indeed. In Indian history many religious conflicts have occurred so secularism can mitigate the chance in further and the culture of love of Indian people will be stronger in this way.

September 23, 2019 at 5:11 pm

@Partha – Thank you for expressing your opinion. However, you could have made your stand more clear with examples.

Indian culture by and large has been an example of diversity .For ages our culture has been represented worldwide as unity in diversity.

Secularism as principle was introduced into Indian Constitution during 1976 , 42nd amendment. Secularism means distance from religion , though it’s still debatable if it meant favouring all religions equally or none of them .

Indian culture has grown over last few decades ,we have adopted western scientific methods to understand the world around us and constantly evolve . Due to secularism – we have kept distance from religion due to which people of certain relegions have not attained required level of understanding of modern science hence fail to adapt to changing trends in Indian culture . Conclusion Secularism should give way for mutual understanding by and large in Indian ethos that can give more space for individual learning so that he understands and evolve within dynamics of Indian culture.

September 23, 2019 at 5:18 pm

@Guest 29 – Thank you for expressing your opinion.

September 23, 2019 at 12:02 pm

Good answer

September 23, 2019 at 12:09 pm

Indian secularism differs in many terms from that of western idea of secularism, especially in its principle of positive interference in all religious and equality of all religions. On the other hand western countries are ignorant of religion. But many recent arguments against secularism has raised questions of its impact on culture. Challenges to our cultural practices in the name of secularism: – India is diverse country, and each community may have culture that may create antagonism among each other. In such scenario support by political parties to one community in the name of secularism creates negative image of secularism. – Example of this is cow slaughter by non hindu communities which is ban in Hinduism. – Another example is the Ayodhya dispute, state, as per constitution, has to interfere. But support to anyone case is step against other. – Many north eastern state has tribal group which dont want government interference in. But same states also have people who dont have same culture and want government to take proactive step to aggressively invest in north east.

Conclusion: Though the Indian side of secularism raises question on this, we must also realize that this idea has United a country as diverse as ours. The problems as mentioned above must only be seen as minor setbacks. We can argue against above arguments on the basis of lack of scientific temperament. No principe can be 100 percent right, but some have better chances of success than others

September 23, 2019 at 12:13 pm

Compared with the western world, Indian secularism lies on the base of complete dissociation of state from religion and thus, respecting all religions equally. The idea of secularism as enshrined in our constitution reminds us of the approach of positive secularism. However, being the land of huge cultural diversity, accomodating all differences and walking hand in hand sometimes becomes difficult such as: 1. Difficult to enforce uniform civil code as different groups have different social practices. 2. The ban on beef consumption was yet another dimension where secularism took over food habits of groups who consume it. 3. Increasing cow vigilantism and cases of mob lynching because of intolerance of one cultural group towards another 4. The policy of imposing Hindi on non-Hindi speaking states also hampers a part of their culture. We do belong to a land where Diwali, Christmas, Eid, Lohri etc are all celebrated within the same geographical boundary. But the growing bond between religion and politics also cannot be overruled. The state needs to completely distance itself from any particular religion. Our constitution enshrines equal protection and promotion to all religions. However, growing fundamentalism poses a threat to it. Positive secularism has helped a land of such diversity thrive for 70 odd years. It has the power to lead us towards overall development. As Gandhiji said, “religion is my personal affair, the state has nothing to do with it. It’s role is to make a welfare state.”

September 23, 2019 at 12:15 pm

In Fundamental Rights of our Indian Constitution from Article 25 to Article 28 deal with freedom of religion.Freedom of promotion of one’s religion,freedom to manage religious affairs,freedom from taxation of a religion,freedom from attending religious instruction.But their freedom should not hurt other religious sentiments and not against unity of India. The concept of Secularism was implicitly present in Indian Constitution. The 42nd Constitutional amendment added word Secularism to Preamble.Secularism in Indian context means all religions in India have the same status and support from government. India is know for it’s unity in diversity.The point of contention is that in the name of equality,fundamental rights state is involving into religious affairs.For example Entry of women of age 10-50 years into sabarimala religious convention vs equality Ban of Triple Talaq religious practice vs discrimination. Article 44 of Indian constitution there should be Uniform Civil Code for all religions. Secularism is not posing as a danger to cultural diversity because State is involving only in such case where the religious practices are against Basic Structure and Fundamental rights Right to equality,freedom,life and liberty.State governs according to the Constitution.Constitution i nothing but ideals and aspirations of people. Secularism concept is preventing the majoritarianism of any religion in India.So secularism in a way conserving the cultural diversity.State is following neutrality in religious matters i.e no discrimination towards any religion

September 23, 2019 at 12:21 pm

The Indian idea of secularism,as opposed to western political thought,advocates a fair and equal treatment of all religions,whereby the state promotes and nurtures all variants of faiths and beliefs(as also non-belief)of its citizens. Since the State plays an active part in regulating our cultural life,with the stated policy of secularism,challenges to inherent cultural practices(especially of minorities) are bound to arise: a)Demand for a Uniform Civil Code:Though the espoused aim by the vocal majority is harmonization of various personal laws,minority communities fear the debasement of their unique cultural practices. b)Judicial interventions:The judgments annulling Triple Talaq,promoting temple entry for women have been landmark in the spirit of promoting equality for the disadvantaged sections. However,some believe that the courts are meddling in the sphere of religion. c)Assault on minorities: 1)The Directive principles of State policy call for a ban on cow slaughter.However, this doesn’t authorise self-styled “gau-rakshaks” to lynch Muslims for transporting cattle. 2)Calls for ban on loud speakers at Madrasas,or at temples,or religious processions. 3)Regulation of finances and functioning of religious trusts and endowments.

The noble aim of secularism must not be conflated to infringe upon the rights of minority communities.Instead,the State must ensure people of all faiths must cohere and live without fear in India’s multi-cultural society.

India being such a vastly diverse country with many different religions, it was necessary for our lawmakers to declare India a secular state by mentioning it in the constitution itself. This would ensure that the state doesn’t get involved in any religious practices which would harm the interests of other sections or question its integrity and it has been ever since upheld by the state.

However, in this context it is necessary to understand that there is a fine line between what we term as Hindu practices and Indian cultural practices. Almost all the Indian cultural practices are seen as hardcore Hindu practices. But, Indian culture dates back to the prehistoric era whereas most of the identified religions of the day came up in the last 2000 years. So, while it is a flawed idea to look at every practice through the lens of religion, it is also necessary to understand that there are some aspects which reflected the great culture of this country. For example, some people claim yoga to be a Hindu practice. Similarly, many term Sanskrit as a Hindu language. Consequently, they raise their voices when the state tries to promote them at a national or international level. But we must also understand that a form of exercise or a language cannot be termed religious rather they form the basis of any society worldwide just like in India.

This poses a great challenge to the state to form a balance between secularism and upholding the great culture of this nation. On one hand, the state needs to uphold the values of secularism and on the other hand, it needs to protect and promote the culture of this nation. This calls for a better understanding and acceptance from people to look at the Indian cultural practices as the basis of the Indian society and not as religious.

The food, language, dance etc. of any society cannot be and should not be termed religious. There are certain uniqueness associated with every culture and the various practices of India should be termed as Indian culture only and not Hindu culture. The wide acceptance of Yoga and celebration of the International Yoga Day is a good example which showcases this inclusiveness.

September 23, 2019 at 12:22 pm

India is a multi diverse nation, as part of the national movement which was also a civil rights movement , secularism became a constituent part of our constitution highlighted under articles 25-30 as fundamental rights. However, indian secularism is a debatable concept as it is different from western notion, giving state opportunity to intervene in religious and cultural practices for social transformation as done in cases of triple talaq and sabrimala recently. Thus, it provides a challenge to individual religious and cultural practices as follows : – violation of freedom of practice and management of religion under article 35 and 26 – affecting and infringement of right of community and their views However, despite these challenges indian secularism has allowed the state to end discriminatory practices undermining human dignity. eg : untouchability, women rights in triple talaq and sabrimala.

As discussed, indian secularism is a positive concept and is a part of basic structure of the constitution. However, there should be absolute prudence to use it in a non partisan manner by the state to ensure social transformation as envisaged by Granville Austin with respect to indian constituion and not as a tool for appeasement.

September 23, 2019 at 12:37 pm

Culture is age old traditions and habits taking a concrete form.Every religion/region has their own shaped out culture. Secularism , on the other hand is a relatively newer term arising in the western countries with a largely homogeneous culture.Here, the state does not patronize any particular religion. However, Indian secularism adds intervention in religion for the better good. People have argued that secularism has hampered the concept and functioning of culture. Eg:-Sabarimala in Kerala:-Following the SC orders, the temple door have been thrust open to women of menstruating ages, allegedly affecting the culture of the region.

But it is often seen that culture is not all good. Culture is nothing but the unscientific culmination of majority views thereby being regressive in nature. If culture was deemed to be more important than secularism, sati, untouchability would still exist in the name of an inhumane intangible entity that is culture. So, when culture and secularism has a fight, secularism wins because it stands for all, not one. And isn’t secularism our culture as well? Akbar, Harsha, -all had their own religions but chose to respect all. So when secularism seems to contradict culture-we should know that with secularism pulling out the bad, it is our culture getting richer, not poorer.

September 23, 2019 at 12:44 pm

Secularism is a concept, which is coined in the preamble Indian constitution whereas culture of India is dynamic in nature. Secularism is a believe whereas Indian culture is the diversified one. Culture depends upon religious, languages and geography of a state. More over superstition and backwardness of society also influence the culture. So nothing wrong in saying that Indian culture itself the most mixed culture as Indian inhabitants in the world. When we tense to look behind the history of Indian culture starting from vedic period to modern India, we found that it was vulnerable as we were invaded by many foreign powers. Secularism doesn’t mean to be irreligious or not to believe in religion. It means avoidance of domination of any religion on other one. Secular India is necessary to bifurcate the gaps between Indian culture and to protect the rights of minorities of India. So that they can participate in the mainstream of developing nation. We should keep in mind that the world’s largest democracy can be stabilized around of secularism.

September 23, 2019 at 1:14 pm

Secularism is a part of the basic structure of our constitution and is also reflected through its various provisions.

Secularism as a term originated in Europe, where it meant a complete and total separation of the “Church and the State”. This led to the state not recognizing any religious beliefs and making it a negative concept.

Indian secularism, however, is a positive concept and it is based on “Sarva Dharma Sambhava”, where all religions are respected, while state interfering to shun religious practices which are against fundamental rights. However, secularism in India has led to the challenges in our traditional culture:

1) Political leaders and policy makers have unknowingly resorted to the European definition of secularism, which has led to derision of all religions 2) The “positive intervention” by the state to correct religious practices which are inhuman or unethical have also led to disturbance in the age old traditions and culture 3) In the name of secularism, at times the political class resorts to appeasing one community as against other, which leads to imbalance in the social structures that existed

Secularism does impact our “culture” in some ways. However, there is a realization that culture is not a static entity, but it changes with time. With modernization and globalization, we have been exposed to various ideas. True secularism would be take up the good ideas and reform our society to be in tune with the modern concepts of human rights and dignity.

Thus even though appeasement and being irreligious has a genuine impact on our culture, but making positive changes in those cultural aspects which are not in tune with the human dignity are the need of the hour

September 23, 2019 at 1:16 pm

Secularism means the right to follow and practice any religion of ones wish and will. Article 25 to 28 of Indian constitution talks about the Right to religion. Securalism was initially not the part of preamble however was added by 42nd amendment, 1976. One of the reasons was to avoid the communal violence based on religion. Cultural practices are various norms, traditions and culture that the individuals follow on the basis of religion. For instance a symbol of Swastik or Holy Cross, dance form, sati system, polygamy, holy treatment of cow etc can be examples of cultural practices. Some of the challenges to our cultural practices in the name of securalism are mentioned below. 1. Violence against women in the following cases. A. Polygamy practice in Muslim culture which leads to inequality of treatment on women by Muslim men B. Triple Talaq however scrapped in India now was violence C. Honor killing in certain communities. Though every citizen has a right to liberty many people are being killed also also being mob lynched for being in love relation or following Western culture dressing and pub culture. We see multiple cases of such mob lynching happening very frequently in the name of culture and religion. D. Rape, Gang rape on minority communities. Kathau gang rape case is a classic example in which this heineous act was performed in order to drive away that community from their land. 2. Mob lynching on beef eaters, sellers and ban on beef consumption. Cow is considered to be holy in Hindu community however, not in other communities. Though every citizen has a right to live the way he/she wants and eat what he/she wants, there are lot attacks on the beef eating community in the name of Hindu religion and culture. 3. Certain communities against the implementation of uniform civil code of laws. Article 44 of Directive principles of state policy talks about implementing uniform civil codes, however because of various culture, tradition and religion this is becoming impossible to implement. Certain communities feel that their right to follow their religious culture is being violated. For example, if there is uniform civil code, practice of polygamy which is the culture of Muslim community will become an offence which violates their religious rights.

Conclusion. Though India is a secular state with vast set of religions and cultures there should be a feeling of “Indianism” and not bases on religion like “Hinduism”, “Christianism”, “Jainism” or “Muslimism” etc. Since in India religious laws secede over state laws and the positive concept of state not getting involved in religious matters, the matter of violence and communal attacks should be considered as a serious concern of the nation and plan to control this communal violence and educate the people and try to bring in the uniform civil codes as per Article 44.

September 23, 2019 at 5:14 pm

@Sukanya – Good attempt and some valid points. However, not all examples seem to fit the case.

September 23, 2019 at 1:27 pm

The most challenging task insofar as “cultural practices” are concerned, due to secularism, is that the two concepts are being seen as distinct from each other in the daily lives of a common man. Constitutionally, “Secularism” refers to the duty of the state to refrain from sponsoring one religion over another and to refrain from showing bias towards one religion as against others. The target in the conception of “cultural practices v. secularism” is a common man, who identifies immediately with local surroundings and culture. Cultural practices and religions borne out of India have largely propagated diversity and equality. True, there were mistakes committed on the path of evolution of our culture- casteism, untouchability, extreme reliance on superstititons are a few examples. But, we cannot forget that there were people whom we celebrate today for having fought against repressive ideas- Kanakadasa, Basava, Mirabai, Sant Ravidas are a few examples. This implies that there was scope for debate and to channelize thoughts towards equality, acceptibility and tolerance. When we say “Culture” we must take care not to paint India in one color. While Poleramma, Dilli Polasi, Mutyalamma, Doddamma may be unheard of in North India, people in the south perform harsh penances and rituals to please these goddesses, who are forms of Parvati. While some communities may preach against using Garlic and Onions in food, there are multiple communities and religions which sacrifice animals and serve the meat in their festivals. As a child, I have witnessed instances where Muslim priests are consulted by parents of a sick child, requesting the former to tie the sacred amulet to the child. Such was the mutual respect, tolerance, recognition and acceptability which is soon fading away. People blinded by emotion and passion cannot reason certain things with logic. For such, time is the best medicine.

September 23, 2019 at 1:41 pm

India is a land of diverse cultures. It has survived the test of time to showcase its unity in diversity. Our Constitution makers wanted independent India to be a land of peace and harmony among different communities. They didn’t want the horrors of partition to be repeated. Thus, articles 25-28 of the Constitution guarantee right to freedom of religion.Additionally to emphasize upon the secular ideals of the Constitution, the 42nd Amendment Act has added the word “secular” to the Preamble.

Thus unlike the Western concept of negative secularism where there is a strict separation between State and religion, the Indian concept requires State to treat all religions equally and make positive interventions to protect them from prejudice and ensure that their personal laws do not result in any derogatory practice.

However, there have some instances when secularism has been invoked in a way that limits the exercise of cultural practices by different communities. Some of the challenges posed by secularism against such practices are as follows- 1) Uniform Civil Code- The Supreme Court has repeatedly asked the Central Government to frame a Uniform Civil Code for the entire country in keeping up with the spirit of Article 44 of the Constitution. However, minorities fear that it will go against what their personal laws prescribe.

2) The Sabarimala issue- A Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court ruled in a majority verdict that denying women of a certain age group entry into temples is in violation of articles 14,19 and 21 of the Constitution. The lone dissent given by Justice Indu Malhotra was that this practice has been going on for generations and people should be given free space to practice their faith according to their norms and customs. The temple authorities say that the verdict will go against their centuries old tradition.

3) Triple talaq – It has been made a non-bailable and cognisable offence with a jail term of 3 years. But some groups allege that the bill is targeted towards Muslim men as desertion of wife by husband in other religions is not considered a criminal offence. Also the penalty prescribed is stricter than other more serious offences.

4) Many times people tend to ignore the restrictions imposed by “public order, health and morality” in article 25 while interpreting secularism. This fact can be cited from the increased cases of hate speeches, riots and mob violence.

Conclusion- In framing laws and policies, all stakeholders should be invited to give their views. Minorities should be assured that their personal laws are not threatened by ensuring that reformations within religion are only targeted towards derogatory practices and not the genuine ones. Law and order should be made stricter to ensure that people of one religion do not practice violence against other religions in the name of freedom religion. In that direction, mob lynching should be made a separate offence.

September 23, 2019 at 1:56 pm

*Secularism by its definition means complete separation of State from religion,in this context it posses no challenge to cultural/religious practices.

*Indian secularism comes with a modification that state can interfere within religious affairs to uphold the constitutional spirit.

*This interference nature of Indian secularism is viewed to posses challenges to cultural practices in cultural point of view,but not in humanitarian point of view.

EXAMPLE, 1. SABARIMALA TEMPLE CASE, SC by allowing temple entry of women has upheld the constitutional values of equality,but in cultural point of view people of Kerala view this as challenge their to continuing cultural legacy.

2 .TRIPLE TALAQ CASE, Here individual rights and dignity have been favoured than the cultural/traditional practice.In cultural point of view its seen as an act of distorting uniqueness of a culture.

3. Banning practices like human sacrifice,under the authority of constitution is displayed by cultural point of view as an act challenging peoples belief system.

4. Banning practices such as witchhunting, displayed by cultural point of view as an act of contempt to spiritual purity.

Thus Indian secularism posses few challenges to cultural practices,only for the protection and welfare of its people.

September 23, 2019 at 5:06 pm

@ Krishnan – Thank you for the opinion. You have tried to give examples. However, they don’t fit properly in this context. Of course, there is a conflict with culture in Sabarimala Issue. However, the conflict is rather with Gender Equality and Modern Thinking than with Secularism. Points (3) and (4) in fact, contradicts your initial stand.

September 23, 2019 at 1:58 pm

Secularism means the principle of separation of state from religious affairs. It is enacted in our constitution through the 42nd amendment act of 1976 during Mrs.IndiraGandhi’s period. Our constitution makers doesnt feel it is necessary to include the Secular characteristics even after the partition,because they felt it is difficult to separate the religion from politics and at the same time “It is the duty of the state to secure for its citizens unifrom civil code throughout the territory of india” which is the 44th article under Part4 Directive principles of state policy. Our constitution makers thought india shold not divided further on the basis of religion so they enshrined the article 44 in our constitution,where it considers all the citizens are same irrespective of religion,caste and cultural practice.

Indian secularism is a positive aspect ,where the government actively involved in curbing the unlawfull practices like sati.But the mob lynchings happening in the name of religion and cow vigilantism needs to handled very sensitively.India is secular country still our legislators enact a separate laws for hindus like Hindu Marriage Act and for Muslims The Muslim Women Protection Bill etc.It can be considered as a milestone,but on the other hand Supreme court evicts the scheduledtribes and other forest dwelling communities.

India is vast in its cultures and practices and it should be encouarged to promote its values.The domination of western cultures and concept can be a threat.The concept of Globalisation can be seen as a threat to our cultures.

In this sense the judiciary nor the legislators should not intervene in the cultural practices in the name of secularism.Article 9 proposes freedom of thought,liberty and religion should be promoted.Culture and practices grow along with individuals.There should not be any restrictions for promoting one’s culture and practices,unless if it is of negative concept.

September 23, 2019 at 5:00 pm

@ Durga – Thank you for posting your opinion.

September 23, 2019 at 2:13 pm

Secularism means right to follow your religion which is fundamental right secured by article 19 and article 25 to 28 in Indian constitution. This is so because india since ancient time was a land of freedom,freedom to follow your religion, freedom to follow culture and their traditions. This is the reason with every few kilometres we can see the language , cultural stories and culinary changing. Earlier we had only hinduism ,but due to monopoly of brahmans over sanskrit texts and casteism Jainism and Buddhism developed and new culture and practices came. Presently, there is xenophobia and white supremacy around as in new zealand mosque shooting.secularism gives us power to accept whereas culture gives us method to celebrate our uniqueness. Both have their own importance thats why our constitution empowered both of them. Todays younger generation dont follow their customs as their parents do due to the high time demanding working condition and competition but they are more evolved in terms of their acception of diff. People and education and science have made them to disown superstitious and degrading practices. Our traditional practices can be more protected when given awareness that they are not out moded and included in school plays and skites and exposure to perform since early ages of children.

September 23, 2019 at 4:58 pm

@ Chanda – We liked this statement “secularism gives us power to accept whereas culture gives us method to celebrate our uniqueness. Both have their own importance thats why our constitution empowered both of them.”

September 23, 2019 at 2:17 pm

Secularism as basic feature and foundation of Indian society and constitution is the reflection of positive concept of “SARVA DHARMA SADBHAVA”.

Challanges to Indian culture:- 1) Freedom to profess and propagate religion is often misused for conversion .

2)Politicising religion for electoral gain infuse social division and rift , which defames religiosity.

3) Secularism provides for inter religious parity to ensure equality which is seen as dominating act of one over other.

4) Secularism provides for no state religion which is matter of concern for communalists and it leads to insecurity and coercion.

Secularism is the ethos of Indian democracy. By allaying these fears among section of society, we can make our democracy more vibrant and healthy.

September 23, 2019 at 4:52 pm

@ Radha – Excellent thoughts! You bought a new dimension to the discussion. Points (1) and (2) were really good. Yes, you have highlighted the misuse of freedom given to religions.

September 23, 2019 at 3:07 pm

The word secularism in the Indian Constitution was done to instill the scientific temper in the people of India to protect the Indian culture from falling prey to the communal forces. The secularism is not the misnomer rather its usage by our political class to garner votes and ultimately power. Secularism gave a new weapon to our political class to divide people on the lines of religions as Colonial powers did through Divide and Rule. The entities of India I.e. pluralism, diversity is still intact and thriving. The term secularism is the bedrock of our Indian society which was down by the likes Raja Ram,vivekanand, Gandhi Ji and many more. The threat to our culture emerges not from secularism but from its wrong interpretation. We as Indians have always embraced people from all walks of life irrespective of their differences. Let’s make a New India which gives it citizens equal footing to each and every one . We must use it as a binding force rather weapon to make it a resilient against any negative approach.

September 23, 2019 at 4:49 pm

@ Nikhil – “The threat to our culture emerges not from secularism but from its wrong interpretation.” Good point!

September 23, 2019 at 3:27 pm

the term secularism itself means religion should not influence or involved in any organisation or government decisions. However for country like India with vast cultural heritage and religions it could me next to impossible for any government to not to be involved and any religion while taking any decision, but as mentioned in our constitution it is described positively saying sarva dharma sadbhavana which means all religions are equal and should be treated equally, this is where the real problem for culture arises. As laws of each religion is different and punishment is also different. here the equality is not attained fully, like for muslims eating beef during festival is a holy thing but for hindus killing a cow is unjustifiable crime, in this case what can indian judicial system do to help either of these people if the court of law give any order to ban beef or make killing cows it will be detrimental to any one of the cultures. like this many other cultural practices are not acceptable by people of other cultures, and they know that court also cannot help them in these cases, as the constitution provides everyone their right to choose their own religion,

September 23, 2019 at 4:47 pm

@ Venu – Thank you for expressing your opinion.

September 23, 2019 at 3:51 pm

Secularism, in the context of Indian Constitution, is the guardian of all culture rather than a stranger to them. It ensures state’s involvement to maintain checks & balances on the cultural practices, so that, in practice of a cultural norm the right to life & liberty of a citizen does not get compromised.

This adaptive version of secularism fits most aptly in the Indian community considering the cultural diversity, where mere disassociation of state from religion would result in clashes & imposition of one religion or culture onto another, which can still be observed at certain times despite prevalent checks.

Thus the challenges imposed by the state to the cultural practices are targeted to protect and empower Indian society rather than to curb its cultural liberty.

September 23, 2019 at 4:45 pm

@ Harshal – Thank you for posting your opinion.

September 23, 2019 at 4:51 pm

Secularism though evolved to establish a harmonious relationship between state and religion, has became a source of challenge to many of our cultural practices, depending upon which interpretation of secularism do we subscribe to. Secularism, as a concept is multi-dimensional in nature. It has been interpreted differently across time and space. Westen model of secularism completely delineates the state from religion and believes that these two should be isolated from each other, while Indian model of secularism is inclusive one where we allow religion to play a constructive role in polity as it is based on Gandhian principles of reinforcing unity and harmony among the people which he even demonstrated during the national movement. In the background on secularism, there was a fear of majoritarianism of one religion over others. That means secularism as a principle was a guarantee to the minority rights and interests by the state. But many have read secularism that the state should not work for the majority religion (i.e. Hinduism in Indian scenario). This when applied in the practical sense contradicts our cultural practices of taking all together, nit just the weak or strong, both actually. Hence, actually it is not the secularism but its narrow meaning which challenges our cultural practices. So, in this discourse on secularism, what is required is the broader interpretation of secularism envisioned by Gandhiji which will run in consonance with our cultural practices.

September 23, 2019 at 4:55 pm

@ Shivam – Thank you for expressing the opinion. However, you could have given examples of the challenges to Indian culture, if any.

September 23, 2019 at 5:02 pm

भारत मे धर्मनिरपेक्षता एक सकारात्मक रूप में लिया गया तत्व । धर्मनिरपेक्ष राज्य के रूप में किसी धर्म के प्रति पक्षधर नीति नहीं अपनाएगा। भारत मे सर्व धर्म समभाव की अवधारणा को अपनाया गया है । जब हम बात करते हैं कि क्या एक धर्मनिरपेक्ष राष्ट्र होने के बावजूद भारत की सांस्कृतिक प्रथाओं पर क्षति पहुंचेगी । तो हमारा ध्यान यूनिफार्म सिविल कोड पर जाना चाहिए । भारत मे किसी धर्म को महत्व न दिया जाए सभी को समान दृष्टि से देखा जाए इसके लिए संविधान में नीति निदेशक तत्व में धर्म निरपेक्ष राज्य के रूप में भारत के लिए एक समान सिविल सहिंता की परिकल्पना की गई है । हम जानते हैं प्रत्येक धर्म की अपनी कुछ मूलभूत विशेषताएं और सांस्कृतिक प्रभाव हैं उदाहरण के लिए विवाह तलाक उत्तराधिकार के नियम । देश मे यूनिफॉर्म सिविल कोड होने से इस सांस्कृतिक विरासत पर चोट पहुंचेगी । विभिन्न धर्म वर्षों से अपनी विरासत को सांस्कृतिक प्रभाव को बनाए रखें हैं । एक धर्मनिरपेक्ष राष्ट्र के रूप में यूनिफॉर्म सिविल कोड लागू कर दिया जाना उनकी इस संस्कृति के लिए खतरा हो सकता है । हम जानते हैं कि विधि आयोग यूनिफॉर्म सिविल कोड की व्यवस्था को यथावत रखने की सिफारिश कर चुका है। इसलिए धर्मनिरपेक्ष राष्ट्र के रूप में भारत को ऐसे अनुप्रयोगों से बचने की आवश्यकता है जो संस्कृति के लिए खतरा जान पड़ असन्तुष्टि का भाव उत्पन्न करेगा ।

September 23, 2019 at 8:09 pm

Article 15 of the Indian Constitution paves the way for growth and happiness among our society. Secularism in India is clearly stated as equal respect for all religions and State has no discriminating role in religious affairs unless rule of law demands. But historical context always termed Secularism as departure from religion and general conception evolved to portray Secularism as a hindrance for cultural diversity in India that is Bharat. Truly India is Bharat?there are existing two cultural entities in a geographically defined landscape,we often call it a sovereign republic. Here Dr B R Ambedkar emphatically established the dictum for future Indian Union,he said-Indian Constitution would be the sole document to evolve equality not any ancient texts. And here in Bharat Hidimbi, a demon in Mahabharata worshiped by some people. Supreme Court clearly said Agamas are the documents for religious affairs and State must restrain itself from appointments(T.N case). Why these events happening in India? We respect all religions. The word was not explicitly used in original constitution. When it used ,a Pandora’s box has opened and unnecessarily the term dragged into unhealthy debates. Let it be there or not,the point is how We the People live in harmony, then the expression India that is Bharat gets meaning.

September 23, 2019 at 8:22 pm

Secularism is a buzz word in the recent past. With numerous interpretations, Secularism in general means every religious practice can be practiced with free will. Everyone in India is free to practice their set of faith and it has been protected under our Constitution. Challenges: 1. Misinterpret the concept of secularism which is causing the division between the religious and secular. 2. Secularism used for promotion and not in good faith. 3. Negative Preaching of Religious Practices. 4. In short, every religious group is having equal opportunity india. However, initiatives to make one above the other will create challenges in a diverse cultural society. Way Forward. 1. Communicating Gandhi Ji’s vision of secularism in the community is crucial. 2. Initiatives like Ek Bharat Shresth bharat an initiative towards unity is Commendable. 3.

September 23, 2019 at 9:43 pm

Secularism the term has a wide interpretation. According to western thought secularism is absence of any religion in state;s affairs whereas according to Indian constitution secularism means equal protection, status and opportunities to all the religion. To maintain secularism in a country having so many religions is although a bit difficult but still India was successful to do so since Independence. Although India was always secular since Vedic period but as the Verna system evolve with time it poses threat to the concept of secularism. Hence our Constitution maker understood this need and they designed the constitution in such a way where they have made provisions for all the religions, communities and languages to protect their heritage and culture. And with time the word secularism was added in the preamble in 1976 by 42nd C.A. Although there is so much diversity in India but still the constitution has provisions to protect the culture and practices of every religion and race. With time the politicians had tried a lot to bring some appeasement policy to a particular region but even this could not violate the secularism nature of Indian Constitution. The most important organ of democracy i.e., Judiciary always tried to maintain the secular fabric of Indian society by giving its verdict in different cases.It only raise its voice against those particular practices which violates the fundamental rights of a particular community and harms the scientific temperament of the law. Hence it can be concluded that there was although many challenges to the cultural practices of secularism but Indian secularism is a positive concept which treats all regions equally and has all legal provisions to protect their culture,language and practices without any discrimination.So Indian Constitution in itself has always maintained its secularism concept positively.

September 23, 2019 at 10:09 pm

Thanku But is my answer irrelevant as others have written differently. What i have understood is why our culture ,traditions are not followed and the reason is secularism…i ewe are accepting every thing nd not. Following our culture conservatively . And so my doubt is everyone has written about conversion..politics and threat to secularism..

September 23, 2019 at 11:29 pm

@Chanda: Your answer is not irrelevant. However the core area of the question was not touched properly. In fact, nobody has written a convincing answer about the challenges to the culture. That itself raises another question – is our culture challenged because of secularism?

September 23, 2019 at 11:02 pm

Challenges to our cultural practices in the name of secularism Secularism is equal respect to all religions. Both European and Indian secularism upheld this. The only difference lies when there is a thick and thin line of difference between state and religion in European and Indian secularism respectively. Secularism in India is practised from olden times. But over the years it has been seen that secularism is seen in a negative way by the people. This has led to emergence of debates surrounding secularism and its consequences. 1) Secular India envisages Uniform Civil Code.(Article 44). This has been widely seen as an attempt to degrade importance of religion over law 2) Sabrimala, Triple Talaq has allowed state to interfere and stop practises which affect gender equality. The whole issue has been seen with one lens of undermining religions in garb of secularism and modern ethos 3) Ban of Burqa in Europe – No showing of symbols associated in public is in lines with European secularism emphasising equality to all religions. Secularism upheld equality, reformation and harmonious coexistence. But when these principles is viewed in a negative context, it is seen as threat/ challenge to cultural practises

September 23, 2019 at 11:38 pm

@ PAG – One of the nearest answers so far. So, @PAG – how do you view Secularism? A positive concept or a negative concept?

September 23, 2019 at 11:49 pm

Secularism highlights upon the principle of mutual tolerance towards other religions and a sense of comprehension for the feelings of the practitioners of a particular religion. Being secular, makes a particular country diverse in its culture. But, in recent times the concept of secularism has not went down well with the people owing to their incapacity to change the perspective with which they see secularism. Whenever the government tries to talk of uniform civil code, that highlights on the soul of secularism, the uproar starts to prevail against the cultural practices of the affected religions. In the context of practices which deteriorates the diverse cultural heritage of a country, the weapon of secularism is used to impose a ban on it. Therefore, secularism posts challenges to the orthodox cultural practices which make the society hollow from inside. Thus culture and secularism go hand in hand with each other but, the impact one term has on the other depends upon the situation under consideration.

September 24, 2019 at 12:36 am

The word Secularism, which itself faces many opposition to explicitly finds a place in constitution, has been added by 42nd constitutional amendment act. India is a society having people from multi cultural, multi religious ideologies, in which their can be some instances where the practices of some community can effect the sentiment of other community. In this scenario the incorporation of the word Secularism makes our country secular state constitutionally which neither promotes any religion nor opposes any religion. But there can be some policies, taken in the name of secular state (taken by the country’s representative which ultimately belongs or promote some religion in one way or the other) which can affects one’s cultural practices. In this particular scenario the ultimate harm is to the secularism itself. Mere the presence of secular word can not protects the cultural values of country’s people. So there are not direct challenges which our cultural activities facing in the name of secularism but there are some one sided cultural activities which ultimately harming the secular fabric of our counrty.

September 24, 2019 at 1:12 am

The term secularism refers to the withering away of religious dominance in the social, political, economical spheres of life. This concept of secularism was adopted in the constitution in our Preamble, Fundamental Rights to religion and Fundamental Duties. This secularism however throws certain challenge to our cultural practices. 1. The traditional Indian society lived in villages and Hindus came together to worship their local diety called Kuladeiva. But with secularism people not only pray to their local diety but also not participate in the social gathering. 2. With increasing cosmopolitan lifestyle people take to Western food habits of eating beef, pork,etc for instance McDonald beef burgers in US and other European countries. 3. One of the important principles of secularism is to hide your religious symbols in your clothing. But this renders our traditional practices of clothing. E.g. Muslims wear skull cap and Sikhs wear turban and keep kirpan. Indian society from time immemorial lived in unity with diversity irrespective of the major religions. But this western, elite given concept of secularism deprives of our traditional cultural practices as mentioned above.

September 24, 2019 at 8:23 am

@ Riyaz – Is secularism entirely a foreign concept?

September 24, 2019 at 7:04 am

Indian secularism is a positive concept which thrives to deal with religions in the equidistant manner and gives equal treatment to plural culture and multi religious society of India . In which state intervenes whenever there is threat to democracy, public life , sovereignty etc by the religious and cultural practices. Indian secularism is evolved from its own history and thus made its entry into the constitution and SC too time and again mentioned it forms the basic structure of constitution. Coming to the cultural practices , Indian society is one of the most diverse culture and in the past since independence , gov abolished and put restrictions to superstitious beliefs and practices in our culture like untouchability through article 17 , sati , dowry etc constitution through article 14 provides equality and through article 15 prohibits discriminatory practices in the name caste , religion , sex . At the same time , constitution provides right to free profession , practice and propagation of religion through its article 25 . Thereby Secularism is a guiding principle to unite and strengthen the multi religious and diverse culture by weeding out discriminatory practices from it . In this Indian secularism is promoting our cultural practices and it is only a challenge to superstitious and inhumane practices thriving in our culture and setting an example for future generations and future world to inspire from our culture

September 24, 2019 at 8:22 am

@ Manikandan – Well written. So your opinion is that Indian Secularism is a positive concept, and the challenges raised by it is only against the negative aspects of Indian Culture. Are we right?

September 24, 2019 at 9:09 am

September 24, 2019 at 9:12 am

@Clearias.. Some of the answers from yesterday have not been reviewed yet. Could you please revert on it?

September 24, 2019 at 10:17 am

Context: India is a diverse country with its rich cultural and customary precedent. By keeping in this mind founding fathers of our constitution espoused idea of “Secularism” in the constitution through 42nd Amendment 1976. Secularism in India means – Neutrality of the state in the matters of religion OR providing same level of playing field to all religions in social spheres. Body: “Challenges to cultural practices under name of secularism” 1. Excessive state interventions in the matters of religions. 2. Over – Glorification of one’s own customary laws and religious practices led to usurpation of level playing field of other religions. 3. Infestation of extreme religious fundamentalism by religious groups and traditional institutions in religious matters led to communalisation in secular sphere. * Article 25 to 28 gives rights to every religious institution as well as every individual to manage, profess and practice religious affairs. But the counter measures taken by states against religious practice often seen by particular community as an attack on their beliefs and customs this perpetuate sense of alienation. *Judiciary itself as final interpreter, must take reference of historical precedent before giving final judgments to situational matters in balanced way. “Court of law can’t invoke notions of rationality in the matters of religion” – Justice Indu Malhotra (Sabrimala Verdict) *Some religious groups giving excessive importance to their religious custom’s, values by cost of other religions – by asserting idea of “Hindu Rashtra” under the name of secularism. Conclusion: “I do not want to see, India to be a majority of any one community or religion i.e. Hindu majority, Majority of Musalmans – I want to see all the religions will have equal rights and opportunities, working side by side to each other” – M. K Gandhi Secularism itself have definitional dilemma, each one have different connotations to it. Amid of this role of a state is important to maintain equilibrium and stability in all religious spheres by its legislative powers by framing appropriate laws. Through fundamentals of DPSP, FR and FD it must be ensured that every community have its own expression to its customs to make India as a Bharat in true sense.

September 24, 2019 at 2:38 pm

Secularism has been always a core value of our composite Indian culture. Whether the Parsis community who were welcomed and given a permanent home in India or appointment of many hindus to various important posts during Mughal period, collective fighting of various communities against the Brirtish rule such examples affirm the above statement.

Preamble of our constitution lists various basic principles on which our country is growing day by day in various spheres. Secularism was not explicitly mentioned in our constitution until 42nd amendment introduced it in the preamble of the constitution thus providing a more concrete feeling among us.

Secularism has various aspects: • Avoiding theocracy and promoting democracy. In other words, separation of state from church. • Respect to every religion. • Developing scientific temper. • Discarding superstitious practices.

Culture consists of many customs, law, belief, values, habit etc. We live in a diversified cultural system. So it is natural that a conflict between our personal and public customs may arise. Such conflicts must be dealt according to law of the country. For example mob lynching is creating disorder in society because few people are taking laws in their hands. They must approach the court for redressal of their grievances. In a long term the base of secularism will weaken and consequently the dream of our ancestors will be broken and some foreign power will again rule us

September 24, 2019 at 4:25 pm

Hi Umesh – You mentioned a very valid point. Secularism is nothing new to India nor it is western. It has been always a core value of Indian culture.

September 24, 2019 at 4:27 pm

The secularism practiced in India is a positive one from that of the westerners. There is no state religion as such in India however State also not abandoned the importance of religion while making the state policies like the western does.

Indian secularism allowed every religious denominations to practice their own religion but at the same time restrictions also imposes once it transgresses it’s limits adversely to the Public interest and Constitutional Morality.

Hence The positive notion of secularism is subjected to public interest and integrity of the country. The cultural practices and religious beliefs therefore should be according to the prescribed laws and the administrative convenience.

For eg. Art 26 given us the right to maintain our religious affairs. But the recent initiative of judiciary in which it has abolished the practice of Triple Talaq clearly shows the interest of public remains at above the narrow cultural beliefs.

Threat to our cultural practices as it has been asked is actually the reasonable restrictions as per the law which necessary to maintain the true spirit of secularism in the country.

September 24, 2019 at 4:56 pm

No I don’t think so. It’s inherent in our culture too.

September 24, 2019 at 8:39 pm

Secularism that is known for separation of institutions with no discrimination against anybody with the name of religion. I totally agree with that because individuals ability, thinking, can not be judge by their religion.everyone have different prospective to see out any thing that can not be judge by their religion.and the most important and amazing feature of being human is that they have a power of thinking and can can share their personal views which can not be justified by the cast or religion.for eg. Any special child or disabled people can not work like normal people can do but they have some other interesting different views and opinions to share and to live and that can not judged.”Many people together make a one religion but no one have a same thoughts and same point of view of thinking.so at last if in one same religion people don’t have same thoughts or same point of view of thinking than what’s the point of separation or discrimination on the name of religion. Thanks for listening me I don’t know much I just saw that point and write my personal views.dont want to hurt anyone.

September 25, 2019 at 3:03 pm

Thank you all for your valuable opinions. In a free country like India, we do respect your thoughts. Keep writing.

This ClearIAS challenge was a sudden reaction to the controversial question in UPSC CSE Mains 2019 on ‘secularism’ on which we felt there is a need for wider discussion.

We thank all readers for showing interest in the same.

We have gone through all the answers. Due to time and space constraints, we may not be able to give individual feedback to all answers. Still, we have interacted with many aspirants in the comment space – so that others will also get an idea.

The top 2 answers posted on this page will get a copy of the bestselling book “Important Judgments that transformed India“.

Notable opinions – Bhargav saikia, Umesh kumar, Manikandan S S, PAG, Krishnan, Medha Mishra, Dali Chatterjee, Midhun P Varrier, Medappa, Satyadeep Kar.

Top 2: 1. Midhun P Varrier 2. Satyadeep Kar

Based on your opinions, we have created another article – ie. “Loaded Questions in UPSC: How should you answer” – on ClearIAS.com. All readers are advised to check the same for better clarity regarding the expectations of UPSC.

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Assessing India’s Social Security Programs: Progress and Challenges

Gs2/ gs3 paper .

Syllabus: Government Policies and Interventions

Context: The article evaluates welfare and social protection programs in India, noting progress but also highlighting shortcomings

What is Social Security ?

Social security is a system implemented by societies/governments to provide individuals and households with financial assistance and support during times of need or vulnerability . It ensures access to healthcare and guarantees income security , especially in situations such as old age, unemployment, sickness, disability, maternity, or loss of a breadwinner.

Status of Social Security:

Global : Almost 53% of the population in the world has no social protection (56% in the Asia-Pacific) (as per ILO: World Social Protection Report 2020-22 )
India : In India over 76% have no social protection (Bangladesh has a higher % of people under social protection than India)
Spending on social protection : The world average is about 13%, while that in India is just 8.6%(eight points six) (Economic Survey 2021-22)
India’s social security spending : Lower than 5% of GDP per capita
Around 53% of all of the salaried workforce does not have any social security benefits in India, according to the Periodic Labour Force Survey Annual Report 2021-22
Only about 2% of the poorest 20% of India’s workforce have access to social security benefits

Issues with the Social Security in India:

Steps taken by India

Steps for Social Security in India:

Universal Coverage : Implement universal social security to cover the entire labour force, consolidating existing schemes and ad hoc measures.
Linking EPFO contributions to Aadhaar numbers enhances effectiveness by enabling traceability, portability, and accessibility.
Expand EPFO Contributions : Increase contributions to the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) for formal workers, involving both employers and employees.
Offering EPFO products to self-employed and gig workers , addressing challenges of contractual employment.
Government Support: Provide subsidies or social assistance to vulnerable workers unable to contribute due to unemployment, underemployment, or low earnings.
Digitization and e-Shram Platform : Invest in digital platforms for streamlined registration, verification, and delivery of social security services, extending coverage and efficiency.
Mandatory Social Security for Employers : Enforce mandatory social security entitlements for employees by their employers to foster formalization esp. for Gig Workers.
Pan-India Labour Force Card : Introduce a nationwide labour force card for simplified registration and expanded coverage beyond specific sectors.
Administrative Simplification : Simplify the administrative framework of social security programs to reduce complexity and ensure better implementation.
Raising Awareness: Conduct awareness campaigns to inform more workers about available social security benefits, leveraging organizations like the Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) for outreach.

States Experience: The Madhya Pradesh Unorganised Workers Welfare Act offers a model for raising resources while strengthening existing schemes like EPF, ESI, and NSAP is vital.

International Experience:

Brazil : Brazil’s extensive social security system, covering over 90% of the population, offers valuable lessons for India. Brazil’s General Social Security Scheme is contribution-based, providing income replacement for workers and their families in partial or full loss situations. It includes unemployment insurance funded by worker support funds and health care through the Unified Health System.
Germany: Germany’s robust social security system, founded on social insurance principles with contributions from both workers and employers, offers pensions, healthcare, unemployment benefits, long-term care, and family allowances. India can benefit from emulating Germany’s social insurance model.
Singapore : Singapore’s unique social security system promotes personal savings through a central provident fund for retirement, housing, healthcare, and education. India could adopt this approach to foster personal responsibility and flexibility for workers.

Conclusion:

To accelerate the formalization of social security in India , reforms are essential. Advocacy for competition, championed by former finance minister Arun Jaitley , suggests allowing employee choice in contributing to either EPFO or NPS. Migrant data collection and the proposed Social Security Fund under the Social Security Code, 2020, would further bolster efforts towards universal social security.

Insta Links:

ILO–UNICEF joint report on social protection for children
Programmes for Social Security Cover

Prelims Links:

What is/are the facility/facilities the beneficiaries can get from the services of Business Correspondent (Bank Saathi) in branchless areas? (UPSC 2014)

It enables the beneficiaries to draw their subsidies and social security benefits in their villages.
It enables the beneficiaries in rural areas to make deposits and withdrawals.

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Both statements are correct

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Secularism
UPSC IFOS Notification - 2024 UPSC CSE Notification 2024. close. Home; Blogs; ... Secularism in the History of India. Secular traditions are very deep rooted in the history of India. Indian culture is based on the blending of various spiritual traditions and social movements. ... Filter By Papers. GS Paper 1 GS Paper 2 GS Paper 3 GS Paper 4 ...
Secularism
"India is a sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic, republic." It highlights the fact that India is a constitutionally secular nation without a State religion. And that the state must respect all religions equally without favouring or patronising anyone in particular. Other constitutional provisions enlarge the concept of secularism:
PDF Secularism in India
Introduction. Secularism has been discussed in India primarily as a state policy towards religious groups. The debate on secularism began by pointing to the difference of the Indian variation to its Western counterpart, either by pointing to an idea of a 'principled distance' or samadharma samabhava, where all religions are treated as equal.
Secularism in India
Apart from the Constitution, Judiciary has also helped shape Secularism in India. Kesavananda Bharati v. State of Kerala (1973): The Supreme Court held that secularism was a part of the basic structure of the Constitution. Bommai v Union of India (1994): The Supreme Court elaborated on the meaning of secularism.The Court said that secularism means equal treatment of all religions.
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The question of secularism is not one of sentiments, but one of laws. The secular objective of the state was expressed by inserting the word 'Secular' in the preamble by the 42 nd constitutional amendment act, 1976. Secularism is basic structure of the constitution. Fundamental rights (Article 12 to 35) guarantees and promotes secularism.
PDF Secularism
The term 'Secular' was added to the preamble by the forty-second constitution Amendment Act of 1976, (India is a sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic, republic). It emphasise the fact that constitutionally, India is a secular country which has no State religion. And that the state shall recognise and accept all religions, not
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Essay on 'Secularism in India' for UPSC - Introductory Para. The term secularism refers to the separation of religion from government. This implies that the government at any level cannot associate itself with a certain religion and that all religions are treated as equal in the eyes of law. This is very important for a country like India ...
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India is a land where people of all the major religions of the world find a peaceful home. The ancient ethos and modern philosophy of India have Secularism as its inalienable part. The idea of secularism makes India a multicultural society. Religion, though a very important part of human life, has its own share of problems associated with it. Secularism addresses those problems in a very ...
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The features of Indian Secularism are as follows: Equal respect and recognition of all religions by the state. No interference in the functions of any religion by the state. No discrimination by the state based on religion. There is no official religion in India. As per Article 25 of the Indian Constitution, an individual has the right to ...
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Secularism refers to Separation of Religion from the state. The Indian Constitution allows individuals the freedom to live by their religious beliefs and practices. With the 42nd Amendment of the Constitution of India enacted in 1976, the Preamble to the Constitution asserted that India is a secular nation. It separated the power of religion ...
Secularism and Communal harmony: Bharat Katha For UPSC Examination
Secularism in the Constitution: Various provisions of the Constitution ensure India to be a secular State. The Indian constitution through its Preamble and particularly through its chapters on Fundamental Rights and Directive Principles have created a secular state based on the principle of equality and non-discrimination.; Along with the principles of social and economic democracy, secularism ...
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The Need for Secularism to Preserve Diversity in India . Promotes Equality: Secularism ensures that all religions are treated equally by the state, which is crucial in a diverse country like India where a multitude of religions coexist. Prevents Discrimination: By separating the state from religion, secularism helps to prevent discrimination on the basis of religion.
Secularism in India
Secularism is neither anti-God nor pro-God; it treats alike the devout, the agnostic and the atheist. It eliminates God from the matter of the state and ensures no one shall be discriminated against on the ground of religion. Basic outline of the secularism is enshrined in the following Articles of the Constitution: Preamble: It is true that ...
Essay on Secularism in India for Students and Children
650+ Words Essay on Secularism in India. The preamble to the constitution of India, describes India as a sovereign, secular, democratic and republic state.According to the Constitution therefore, India is a state that holds its own integrity and is free from any foreign control, it is a republic in the sense that the government of the state is only a representative of the people and people ...
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UPSC Buddy. India's Largest Career Transformation Portal. Essay on the Indian Model of Secularism. October 9, 2019 by Sandeep. According to the definition of ... In India religious practices and values are also of utmost importance. India is a land of many religions. Sometimes the sentiments of one religion gets hurt by a group that speaks ...
Secularism
Secularism implies the separation of state from religion. Study in detail the history, meaning and importance of secularism in India | UPSC Polity Notes
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There is no official religion of India. Secularism is an essential feature of Indian Constitution. This feature reflects the secular values of Indian society from ancient past. Tolerance, assimilation and pluralism are the key elements in the making of an Indian form of secularism. Tolerance as the key element of Indian form of Secularism:
'Secularism vs Indian Culture'
It predisposes two ideas (1) India has steady GDP growth (2) India has low inflation. Aspirants were given only a choice to mention if they consider the Indian economy as in good shape or not and then give their arguments. Well-read aspirants who know that Indian GDP growth was down to a 6-year low in Q1 of 2019 found this question strange.
Secularism in India, Secularism in India Essay, indian secularism
During the freedom struggle, secularism was emerging as the most dominant principle. The leaders of the Indian National Congress; Gandhi, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Nehru and others were deeply committed to the ideal of secularism, though each expressed it in very different manners. Secularism became the mantra of the Indian nation, a nation ...
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Consider the following statements: (UPSC 2020) The Constitution of India defines its 'basic structure' in terms of federalism, secularism, fundamental rights, and democracy. The Constitution of India provides for 'judicial review' to safeguard the 'citizens' liberties and to preserve the ideals on which the constitution is based.
Secularization: Characteristics, Causes and Effects
Secularization: Characteristics, Causes and Effects. Secularisation in Sociology is defined as the transformation of a society from getting influenced by religion to an independent secular one. Derived from the Latin word, secular means 'present age or generation' it was first defined by Brian Wilson in 1966 as "the process by which ...
Assessing India's Social Security Programs: Progress ...
GS2/ GS3 Paper Syllabus: Government Policies and Interventions Source: IE Context: The article evaluates welfare and social protection programs in India, noting progress but also highlighting shortcomings What is Social Security? Social security is a system implemented by societies/governments to provide individuals and households with financial assistance and support during times of need ...

Secularism in India

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