CBSE Class 8 Answered
India is a secular country and it does not have any official religion.
To prevent the domination of a majority community over the others, the Indian State follows certain secular principles which are enlisted in our Constitution. These are
- It has no official religion. It neither encourages nor discourages practice of any religion. For example, in government spaces like the court room, government schools and offices, no one can promote any religion.
- The Indian State respects the religious sentiments of all people. Thus, it follows a policy of non-interference in the religious practices of the people. For example, the State allows the Sikhs to not wear a helmet as wearing a pagdi is part of their religious practice.
However, The Indian State also follows the strategy of intervention in cases where members of one community discriminate against members of the same religious community. For example, in order to prevent upper-caste Hindus from dominating lower-caste Hindus, untouchability has been abolished and no discrimination is allowed on the basis of caste or sect.
Similarly, by following the policy of intervention, the Indian State also guarantees the right to minority groups of establishing their own educational institutions and colleges. It also provides financial assistance to them.