The spirit of tolerance and love is not only an interesting feature of Indian society from very early times, but it is also playing an important part at the present. Elaborate.
Approach · directive: “elaborate”
What it asks · Trace the long roots of tolerance and love in Indian society, show how they continue to shape present life and institutions, and acknowledge the strains on them.
The question has 3 parts — answer each
- Elaborate: the roots of tolerance and love in Indian society from early times
- Elaborate: how this spirit plays an important part at present, in institutions and daily life
- Note the strains on it and what sustains it
Open with · From the Upanishadic idea of many paths to one truth to the Constitution's promise of fraternity, India's history is full of habits of coexistence that still hold society together.
Cover
- Ancient roots: Ashoka's Rock Edict XII urged respect for all sects; Buddhism and Jainism stressed ahimsa and compassion; the idea of vasudhaiva kutumbakam and the acceptance of many philosophies (astika and nastika) ran through Indian thought.
- Welcome to strangers: Jews, Syrian Christians and Parsis found refuge and settled with their faiths intact.
- Bhakti and Sufi movements: Kabir, Nanak, Mirabai and the Chishti saints preached love beyond caste and creed, producing shared shrines, music and poetry.
- Political expression: Akbar's sulh-i-kul, or peace with all, and the Gandhian creed that all religions are true show tolerance as statecraft.
- Constitutional life: secularism, Articles 25–30 and the fundamental duty to promote harmony (Article 51A) make tolerance a legal norm.
- Everyday India: shared festivals, cuisine and dargah and temple visits across communities, and neighbourly help during disasters, show tolerance in practice.
- Strains: communal riots, mob violence, hate speech and caste atrocities test this tradition; institutions, education and civil society must protect it.
Close with · India's plural character rests on a deep, lived habit of tolerance and love, which needs continuous constitutional and civic effort to remain strong.
Question: UPSC's CS (Main) 2017, GS Paper I — paper ↗. Approach: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify) — UPSC publishes no model answers. ·
Model answer · 260 words (UPSC limit 250) · Minimalist IAS
From the Upanishadic idea of many paths to one truth to the Constitution's promise of fraternity, Indian society has cultivated habits of coexistence that still hold it together.
Roots from early times
- Ancient thought: Ashoka's Rock Edict XII urged respect for all sects; Buddhism and Jainism made ahimsa and compassion central; vasudhaiva kutumbakam and the coexistence of astika and nastika schools show acceptance of many philosophies.
- Refuge to strangers: Jews, Syrian Christians and Parsis settled in India with their faiths intact.
- Bhakti and Sufi movements: Kabir, Nanak, Mirabai and the Chishti saints preached love above caste and creed, leaving shared shrines, music and poetry.
- Statecraft: Akbar's sulh-i-kul, or peace with all, and Gandhi's creed that all religions are true made tolerance a principle of public life.
Its part in the present
- Constitutional norm: secularism, freedom of religion and minority rights under Articles 25–30, and the fundamental duty under Article 51A to promote harmony, make tolerance a legal standard.
- Everyday life: festivals celebrated across communities, shared cuisine, visits to dargahs and temples alike, and neighbourly help in disasters show tolerance as practice.
- Social cement: in a country of many languages, faiths and castes, this spirit keeps democracy workable and makes coexistence the rule rather than the exception.
Strains and safeguards
- Communal riots, mob violence, hate speech and caste atrocities test the tradition.
- Impartial enforcement of law, value education and an active civil society are needed to protect it.
India's plural character rests on a deep, lived habit of tolerance and love; keeping it strong is a continuing constitutional and civic task.
Written by Minimalist IAS from facts checked at source (how we verify). UPSC publishes no model answers: compare your structure and coverage with this, then write your own.