Crisp Content - Civil Services (UPSC/IAS)

Useful ? Let’s help each other by sharing! Question: What is meant by Secularism? Briefly explain the Secular character of Indian State as mentioned in the Constitution. UPSC Syllabus:  GS 2 Polity  Indian Constitution: historical underpinnings, evolution, features, amendments, significant provisions and basic structure. Relevance: UPSC Previous year Mains Exam.  1994 Indicate the provisions of Indian Constitution relating to Secularism.  2005 Give your views on the right to freedom of religions as enshrined in the Indian Constitution. Do they make India a secular State?  ANSWER : Secularism is a doctrine which states that religion is kept separate from the social, political, economical and cultural spheres of life. Religion is open to one and all and is given as a personal choice to an individual without any different treatment to the latter. The Constitution of India stands for a  secular state , which means that  it does not prioritize any one relig...

Useful ? Let’s help each other by sharing! Answer: Basic structure is a set of fundamental rights and nature of the constitution which cannot be abridged through amendment by the parliament. The concept of the basic structure was first introduced by the supreme court in the Kesavananda Bharati case, 1973. After that the basic structure evolved and well established through the Indira Gandhi case, Minerva Mills case, and Waman Rao case among others. Elements of the basic structure: There is no proper definition of what constitutes the basic structure of the constitution given either by the parliament or the judiciary. But the judiciary in number of cases had listed some basic structures which are as follows: Supremacy of the Constitution Sovereign, democratic and republican nature of the Indian polity Secular character of the Constitution Federal character of the Constitution Unity and integrity of the nation Welfare state Judicial review Basic structure and c...