Constitutional Provisions Regarding Secularism in India

In India, freedom of religion is a Fundamental Right and is guaranteed through the following provisions:

♤ Article 25: guarantees freedom of conscience and free profession, practice and propagation of religion.

♤ Article 26: every religious denomination has the freedom to manage its religious affairs.

♤ Article 27: Freedom from 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.

Other Constitutional safeguards regarding religion include the following:

♤ 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 and no citizens shall be ineligible for employment on grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex, descent, place of birth.

♤ Article 29: Protection of distinct language, script or culture of minorities

♤ Article 30: Rights of all minorities, whether based on religion or language, to establish and administer educational institutions of their choice.

♤ The Preamble of India states that India is a secular country (added after 42nd Amendment Act, 1976).