GS Paper I 2018 · Q10
10 marks · 150 words Social empowerment, communalism, regionalism & secularism X-Ray · Core #21How the Indian concept of secularism is different from the western model of secularism ? Discuss.
Approach · directive: “how / discuss”
What it asks · Contrast India's approach of equal respect and principled State engagement with religion against the Western model of strict separation of church and State.
It asks 2 things — answer each
- How the Indian concept differs from the Western model: principled distance versus mutual exclusion, community rights, corrective intervention, public role of faith, constitutional basis
- Discuss the criticisms of the Indian model and what its credibility depends on
Open with · NCERT describes the mainstream Western conception of secularism as mutual exclusion of State and religion to protect individual freedom; India chose a different path.
Cover
- Principled distance: the State may intervene or abstain, whichever better serves liberty, equality and social justice.
- Corrective intervention: Article 17 and Article 25(2)(b) on opening Hindu religious institutions to all sections.
- Community rights: Articles 29–30; freedom of religion of individuals and communities.
- Public role of faith: festivals of many faiths, unlike French laïcité's 2004 school ban on conspicuous symbols.
- Constitutional basis: 42nd Amendment (1976) and S.R. Bommai (1994).
- Criticisms: selective intervention, vote-bank politics and the uniform civil code debate (Article 44).
Close with · India shows a State can be secular without being anti-religious; its credibility rests on keeping the same principled distance from every faith.
Add value (verified)
- Article 25(2)(b) empowers the State to legislate for social reform and to open Hindu religious institutions of a public character to all sections of Hindus, a corrective role a strict-separation model would not allow.The Constitution of India (as on 1 May 2024), Article 25(2)(b) — Legislative Department ↗“providing for social welfare and reform or the throwing open of Hindu religious institutions of a public character to all classes and sections of Hindus”
Question: UPSC's CS (Main) 2018, GS Paper I — paper ↗. Approach: Minimalist IAS, checked 16 Oct 2026 (how we verify) — UPSC publishes no model answers. ·
Model answer· 212words · Minimalist IAS
NCERT describes the mainstream Western conception of secularism as mutual exclusion of State and religion, meant to protect individual freedom. Indian secularism, born in a plural and hierarchical society, chose a different path.
| Basis | Western model | Indian model |
|---|---|---|
| State and religion | Mutual exclusion | Principled distance |
| Whose freedom | The individual | Individuals and communities |
| Religious reform | State abstains | State may intervene |
How the Indian concept differs
- Principled distance: the State keeps away from all religions so it can intervene or abstain, whichever better serves liberty, equality and social justice.
- Corrective intervention: Article 17 abolished untouchability, and Article 25(2)(b) allows opening Hindu religious institutions of a public character to all sections.
- Community rights: Articles 29–30 let minorities run educational institutions and conserve their culture, beyond individual rights.
- Public role of faith: public life accommodates festivals of many faiths, whereas French laïcité banned conspicuous religious symbols in state schools in 2004.
- Constitutional basis: 'secular' entered the Preamble through the 42nd Amendment (1976), and S.R. Bommai (1994) held secularism a basic feature.
Criticisms
- Uneven practice: charges of selective intervention and vote-bank politics, and the pending uniform civil code (Article 44), demand an even hand.
India shows that a State can be secular without being anti-religious; its credibility rests on keeping the same principled distance from every faith.
Prepared by Minimalist IAS to the answer standard of Shivam Singh (mentor, 7 years) · facts checked against official sources (how we verify) · updated 16 Oct 2026. UPSC publishes no model answers: compare your structure and coverage with this, then write your own.
