CBSE Questions for Class 8 Civics Understanding Secularism Quiz 1 - MCQExams.com

• Communalist is an individual who is interested in one's own minority or ethnic group than in society as a whole. 
• Secularist believes that religion should not be involved with the ordinary social and political activities of a country. 
• Casteist discriminates against people based on their caste. 
• Feminist believes that women should have the same rights, power, opportunities as men and be treated equally. 
  

In all the nations India stands out as the only secular state having no state religion and no single officially patronized religion. Religion-State relations in this country are in fact unique in every sense of the term.

Freedom of religion- All persons are equally entitled to freedom of conscience and the right freely to profess, practice and propagate religion.

Group Rights- Every religious denomination or any section thereof has the right to manage its religious affairs; establish and maintain institutions for religious and charitable purposes; and own, acquire and administer properties of all kinds.

A secular state is a concept of secularism, whereby a state is or purports to be officially neutral in matters of religion, supporting none of the religions.  A secular state also claims to treat all its citizens equally regardless of religion and claims to avoid preferential treatment for a citizen from a particular religion or no religion. Secular states do not have a state religion although the absence of a state religion does not necessarily mean that a state is fully secular. However, a true secular state should steadfastly maintain national governance without influence from religious factions and vice versa

Secularism in India means equal treatment of all religions by the state. With the 42nd Amendment of the Constitution of India enacted in 1976, the Preamble to the Constitution asserted that India is a secular nation. However, neither India's constitution nor its laws define the relationship between religion and state. The laws implicitly require the state and its institutions to recognize and accept all religions, enforce parliamentary laws instead of religious laws, and respect pluralism.

The secularization thesis expresses the idea that as societies progress, particularly through modernization and rationalization, religious authority diminishes in all aspects of social life and governance.

First amendment of US constitution states that no law shall be made respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise, or causing hindrance to freedom of speech, or of the press, or to the right of the people to assemble freely, or to petition the government for a redress of grievances.