India as a Secular State, Social Harmony
India's many religions and beliefs make tolerance, peaceful coexistence and equal civic belonging essential to social harmony in a modern state.
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11 bilingual articles
Religious Diversity, Secularism and Social Harmony in India
India's many religions and beliefs make tolerance, peaceful coexistence and equal civic belonging essential to social harmony in a modern state.
Open article →Historical and Constitutional Chronology of Indian Secularism
Examples run from Ashoka's third-century BCE tolerance and Akbar's Mughal policy to constitutional milestones in 1949, 1950, 1954 and 1976.
Open article →Secularism: Meaning, Non-Domination, Liberty, Equality and Neutrality
Secularism combines tolerance and peaceful coexistence with checks on religious domination and the state principles of liberty, equality and neutrality.
Open article →Secular State: Equal Treatment, Religious Freedom and No State Religion
A secular state has no official religion, treats faiths impartially and protects each person's conscience and freedom to profess, practise, propagate, change or reject belief.
Open article →Secularism in the Preamble and the 42nd Constitutional Amendment
The Constitution was adopted in 1949 and commenced in 1950; the 42nd Amendment added 'Secular' to the Preamble in 1976.
Open article →Constitutional Safeguards for Secularism: Articles 15 to 29
Articles 15, 16, 25, 26, 27, 28 and 29(2) connect non-discrimination, public opportunity, religious freedom, tax and education safeguards.
Open article →Secular Education: Character, Tolerance and Democratic Values
Secular public education avoids religious dominance and develops character, moral conduct, broad outlook, tolerance, cooperation, equality and democratic citizenship.
Open article →Social Harmony: Respect, Equal Religious Rights and Civic Life
Social harmony grows when secular institutions prevent religious domination and citizens practise respect, civility, equal rights, tolerance and cooperation.
Open article →Prejudice, Stereotypes and Prejudgment
Prejudice judges people negatively without knowing them; stereotypes turn simplified assumptions about identity, place or ability into expectations that can lead to exclusion.
Open article →Discrimination, Inequality and Human Dignity
Discrimination converts prejudice into unequal treatment; caste, gender, religion, class and disability exclusion deny the equal human dignity shown by people's varied achievements.
Open article →Constitutional Equality and Everyday Action against Prejudice
Articles 14, 15 and 17 turn equal dignity into legal protection, while critical thinking, inclusive contact, education and speaking against exclusion make equality an everyday practice.
Open article →Article access
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