GS Paper I 2017 · Q19
15 marks · 250 words Social empowerment, communalism, regionalism & secularismDistinguish between religiousness/religiosity and communalism giving one example of how the former has got transformed into the latter in independent India.
Approach · directive: “distinguish”
What it asks · Contrast personal faith with an ideology that treats religion as a political and economic community interest, then show one case of movement from one to the other.
The question has 2 parts — answer each
- Distinguish religiosity from communalism: nature, purpose, attitude to others, methods, constitutional position
- Give one example of the transformation of religiosity into communalism in independent India
Open with · Religiosity is a personal matter of faith and worship; communalism is the belief that people of a religion share political, economic and social interests opposed to those of others.
Cover
- Nature: religiosity is spiritual and individual, compatible with respect for other faiths; communalism is a political ideology built on religious identity.
- Purpose: the first seeks spiritual growth and moral conduct; the second seeks group power, resources or advantage over other communities.
- Attitude to others: religiosity accepts plural paths and coexists with neighbours; communalism sees other communities as rivals or threats and spreads stereotypes.
- Methods: religiosity uses worship, ritual and charity; communalism uses propaganda, fear, mobilisation of symbols and often violence.
- Constitutional position: freedom of religion (Articles 25–28) protects religiosity; the State must check its use for political division.
- Example of transformation: the Ayodhya dispute; devotion to a sacred site became a mass political campaign in the 1980s and 1990s, and the 1992 demolition was followed by riots in several cities.
- Other markers: religious processions turned into displays of strength and rumours fuelling riots show the same shift.
Close with · Faith becomes communalism when religion is used to define political interests against others; the remedy lies in a plural civil culture and firm, impartial enforcement of law.
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 · 263 words (UPSC limit 250) · Minimalist IAS
Religiosity is a personal matter of faith and worship; communalism is the belief that the followers of a religion share political, economic and social interests opposed to those of other communities.
Distinguishing the two
- Nature: religiosity is spiritual and individual, compatible with respect for other faiths; communalism is a political ideology built on religious identity.
- Purpose: the first seeks spiritual growth and moral conduct; the second seeks group power, resources or advantage over other communities.
- View of others: religiosity accepts plural paths and lives alongside neighbours; communalism casts other communities as rivals or threats and spreads stereotypes.
- Methods: religiosity works through worship, ritual and charity; communalism through propaganda, fear, mobilisation of symbols and often violence.
- Constitutional standing: Articles 25–28 protect religiosity as freedom of religion; the State must check its use to divide citizens politically.
One example: the Ayodhya dispute
- Devotion to a site held sacred as the birthplace of Ram was for long a matter of local worship.
- In the 1980s and 1990s it became a mass political campaign around the Babri Masjid, with processions and mobilisation that defined communities against each other.
- The demolition of the mosque in 1992 was followed by riots in several cities, and the issue dominated politics for years: faith had been turned into a marker of community interest and confrontation.
- The same shift shows in religious processions that become displays of strength and in rumours that trigger riots.
Faith becomes communalism when religion is used to define political interests against others; the answer lies in a plural civic culture and firm, impartial enforcement of the law.
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.