Understanding Secularism - Extra Questions & Solutions - Civics - Class 8 - Sharya Academy

27/07/2020 Understanding Secularism | Extra Questions & Solutions | Civics | Class 8 – Sharya Academy
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Understanding
Secularism | Extra
Questions & Solutions |
Civics | Class 8
 November 24, 2019  sharyaacademy  1 Comment
STATISTICS
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Q1. Fill in the blanks. counting...
i. In the United States of America, most children

in government schools have to begin their school
day reciting the ‘Pledge of Allegiance’.
ii. The most important aspect of secularism is its

separation of religion from State power.
iii. In India, government spaces like law courts,

police stations, government schools and
sharyaacademy.com/understanding-secularism-extra-questions-solutions-civics-class-8/ 1/16
o ces are not supposed to display or promote

any one religion.
iv. The Indian State is not ruled by a religious

group and nor does it support any one religion.
v. Jewish State of Israel treats its own Muslim

and Christian minorities quite badly.
Q2. True/False
i. In Indian secularism the State is not strictly
separate from religion. True
ii. Wearing a pugri (turban) is central to a Sikh’s

religious practice. True
iii. Government schools can promote any one

religion. False
iv. In Indian secularism, the State cannot

intervene in religion. False
v. History provides us with many examples of

discrimination, exclusion and persecution on the
grounds of religion. True
Q3. What does the term ‘secularism’ refer to?

Ans. Secularism refers to this separation of
religion from the State.
Q4. What do you mean by ‘freedom to interpret’?

Ans. ‘Freedom to interpret’ means an individual’s
liberty to develop his own understanding and
meaning of the religious teachings.
Q5. Explain the concept of ‘principled distance’.

Ans. This means that any interference in religion
by the State has to be based on the ideals laid
out in the Constitution.
Q6. How are non-Muslims treated in Saudi

Arabia?
Ans. In Saudi Arabia, non-Muslims are not
allowed to build a temple, church etc., and nor
can they gather in a public place for prayers.
Q7. What is meant by the word ‘establishment’?

Ans. The word ‘establishment’ means that the
legislature cannot declare any religion as the
o cial religion. Nor can they give preference to
one religion.
Q8. What is the most important aspect of

secularism? State its importance.
Ans. The most important aspect of secularism is
its separation of religion from State power. This
is important for a country to function
democratically.
Q9. “The government cannot force Sikhs to wear

a helmet while driving two wheelers.” Give
reason.
Ans. This is because the Indian State recognises
that wearing a pugri (turban) is central to a Sikh’s
religious practice and in order not to interfere
with this, allows an exception in the law.
Q10. What provision has been made by the

government to follow religious equality in
government spaces, schools and o ces?
Ans. In India, government spaces like law courts,

police stations, government schools and o ces
are not supposed to display or promote any one
religion. Government schools cannot promote any
one religion either in their morning prayers or
through religious celebrations.
Q11. When does discrimination occur?

Or
When does the act of discrimination take place?
Ans. Discrimination occurs when members of one
religious community either persecute or
discriminate against members of other religious
communities. These acts of discrimination take
place more easily when one religion is given
o cial recognition by the State at the expense of
other religions.
Q12. How Indian concept of secularism is

di erent from United States?
Ans. There is one signi cant way in which Indian
secularism di ers from the dominant
understanding of secularism as practised in the
United States of America. This is because unlike
the strict separation between religion and the
State in American secularism, in Indian
secularism the State can intervene in religious
a airs.
Q13. Why government schools are not allowed to

celebrate religious festival?
Ans. The celebration of the religious festival
within the school would be a violation of the
government’s policy of treating all religions
equally. Government schools cannot promote any
one religion either in their morning prayers or

through religious celebrations. That’s why
government schools are not allowed to celebrate
religious festival.
Q14. What is secularism in Indian context?

Ans. The Indian Constitution allows individuals
the freedom to live by their religious beliefs and
practices as they interpret these. In keeping with
this idea of religious freedom for all, India also
adopted a strategy of separating the power of
religion and the power of the State. Secularism
refers to this separation of religion from the
State.
Q15. When was law passed by French government
banning religious symbols in school? What was
its impact?
Ans. In February 2004, France passed a law
banning students from wearing any conspicuous
religious or political signs or symbols such as the
Islamic headscarf, the Jewish skullcap, or large
Christian crosses. This law has encountered a lot
of resistance from immigrants who are mainly
from the former French colonies of Algeria,
Tunisia and Morocco.
Q16. What are the three objectives of a secular

State?
Or
State the three objectives of a secular State.
Ans. The three objectives of a secular State are:
i. One religious community does not dominate

another;
ii. Some members do not dominate other

members of the same religious community;
iii. State does not enforce any particular religion

nor take away the religious freedom of
individuals.
Q17. Why is it important to separate religion from

the State?
Or
Why does state not interfere in religious matter?
Ans. It is important to separate religion from the
State because of the following reasons:
i. To prevent the domination of one religion over

another.
ii. To protect the freedom of individuals to exit

from their religion, embrace another religion or
have the freedom to interpret religious teachings
di erently.
Q18. Site some historical examples of

discrimination.
Ans. Historical examples of discrimination are:
i. Jews were persecuted in Hitler’s Germany.
ii. Jewish State of Israel treats its own Muslim

and Christian minorities quite badly.
iii. In Saudi Arabia, non-Muslims are not allowed

to build a temple, church etc., and nor can they
gather in a public place for prayers.
Q19. Will the government intervene if some

religious group says that their religion allows
them to practise infanticide? Give reasons for
your answer.
Ans. The government will surely intervene if
some religious group says that their religion
allows them to practice infanticide because it
involves killing of innocent child, which is against
fundamental right – The Right to Life. No one is
allowed to go against fundamental rights.
Everyone's right to life shall be protected by law.
Q20. Find out some examples of di erent views

within the same religion.
Ans. Di erent views are found within the same
religion. For example:
i. In Hinduism, there are Vaishnavism, Shaivism,

Shaktism and Smartism.
ii. In Muslim community, there are Sunni, Shia,

Ahmadiyya and Quranists.
iii. In Jainas, there are Shwetambar and Digambar

sects.
iv. In Buddhism, there are Hinayana, Mahayana

and Vajrayana.
Q21. How does the Indian constitution ensure its

objectives of secular state?
Ans. The Indian Constitution ensures its
objectives of a secular state in the following
manner:
i. One religious community does not dominate

another;
ii. Some members do not dominate other

members of the same religious community;
iii. State does not enforce any particular religion

nor take away the religious freedom of
individuals.
Q22. Look up the annual calendar of holidays of your

school. How many of them pertain to di erent
religions? What does this indicate?
Ans. Holidays in school calendar
Religions Holidays
Hindu Holi, Dussehra, Diwali
Muslim Eid ul Zuha or Bakrid, Eid al-

Fitr, Muharram
Sikh Guru Gobind Singh Jayanti,

Gurpurab
Christian Christmas, Goodfriday
This indicates that India is secular country where

religious freedom is granted to its citizens and all
religions are equally respected.
Q23. Give one example to prove that the Indian

secular state can intervene to prevent the
religious domination concerning di erent groups
of the same religion.
Ans. We can prove this fact with following
example: Where members of the same religion
(‘upper-caste’ Hindus) dominate other members

(some ‘lower castes’) within it. In order to
prevent this religion-based exclusion and
discrimination of ‘lower castes’, the Indian
Constitution banned untouchability. In this
instance, the State is intervening in religion in
order to end a social practice that it believes
discriminates and excludes, and that violates the
Fundamental Rights of ‘lower castes’ who are
citizens of this country.
Q24. List the di erent types of religious practice

that you nd in your neighbourhood. This could
be di erent forms of prayer, worship of di erent
gods, sacred sites, di erent kinds of religious
music and singing etc. Does this indicate freedom
of religious practice?
Ans. The various types of religious practice found
in our neighbourhood are:
i. Hindu performing Puja and Havan
ii. Muslims o ering Namaz
iii. Sikhs visiting Gurudwara
iv. Christians praying in Church
There are churches, gurudwaras, mosques and

temples in our neighbourhood. People of
di erent cultures and religions stay together and
celebrate festivals. This indicates that all the
citizens are able to practice their religion with
freedom in secular environment.
Q25. Complete the following table:

Objective Why is this Example of a

important? violation of
this objective
One religious This is Demolition of

community important: the Babri
does not Masjid on 6
dominate To avoid December
another. discrimination. 1992. A large
crowd of
To establish
Hindu Kar
harmony in
Sevaks
the society.
demolished
the 16th-
To protect the
century Babri
Fundamental
Mosque in
Right to
the city of
Freedom of
Ayodhya, in
Religion.
Uttar
Pradesh. The

demolition
occurred after
a political
rally at the
site turned
violent.
The State This is In February

does not important to 2004, France
enforce any uphold the passed a law
particular ideals of banning
religion nor democratic students from
take away the nation which wearing any
religious allow its conspicuous
citizens to religious or
freedom of choose political signs

individuals. whichever or symbols
religion they such as the
wish to follow. Islamic
headscarf, the
Jewish
skullcap, or
large
Christian
crosses.
That some This is Dalits were

members do important in looked down
not dominate order to upon and
other establish were
members of equality in the discouraged
the same society. to enter
religious temples.
community.
Q26. In what ways does the Indian state work to

prevent domination of the majority religious
group?
Ans. The Indian State works in various ways to
prevent the domination.
i. First, it uses a strategy of distancing itself from

religion. The Indian State is not ruled by a
religious group and nor does it support any one
religion. In India, government spaces like law
courts, police stations, government schools and
o ces are not supposed to display or promote
any one religion.
ii. The second way in which Indian secularism

works to prevent the above domination is
through a strategy of noninterference. This
means that in order to respect the sentiments of
all religions and not interfere with religious
practices, the State makes certain exceptions for
particular religious communities.
iii. The third way in which Indian secularism

works to prevent the domination listed earlier is
through a strategy of intervention. The State
intervenes in religion in order to end a social
practice that it believes discriminates and
excludes, and that violates the Fundamental
Rights of people who are citizens of this country.
Q27. The Indian State both keeps away from

religion as well as intervenes in religion. This idea
can be quite confusing. Discuss this once again in
class using examples from the chapter as well as
those that you might have come up with.
Ans. In Indian secularism, though the State is not
strictly separate from religion, it does maintain a
principled distance vis-à-vis religion. This means
that any interference in religion by the State has
to be based on the ideals laid out in the
Constitution.
For example:
i. Where members of the same religion (‘upper-

caste’ Hindus) dominate other members (some
‘lower castes’) within it. In order to prevent this
religion-based exclusion and discrimination of
‘lower castes’, the Indian Constitution banned
untouchability. In this instance, the State is

intervening in religion in order to end a social
practice that it believes discriminates and
excludes, and that violates the Fundamental
Rights of ‘lower castes’ who are citizens of this
country.
ii. Similarly, to ensure that laws relating to equal

inheritance rights are respected, the State may
have to intervene in the religion-based ‘personal
laws’ of communities.
iii. The intervention of the State can also be in

the form of support. The Indian Constitution
grants the right to religious communities to set
up their own schools and colleges. It also gives
them nancial aid on a non-preferential basis.
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Secularism | Extra Questions
& Solutions | Civics | Class 8”
panjalingam.v says:
July 5, 2020 at 10:13 pm
excellent material and it is very helpful
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Sharya Academy Search …

247,619 reads and

Q1. Fill in the blanks. counting...

i. In the United States of America, most children

ii. The most important aspect of secularism is its

iii. In India, government spaces like law courts,

o ces are not supposed to display or promote

iv. The Indian State is not ruled by a religious

v. Jewish State of Israel treats its own Muslim

ii. Wearing a pugri (turban) is central to a Sikh’s

iii. Government schools can promote any one

iv. In Indian secularism, the State cannot

v. History provides us with many examples of

Q3. What does the term ‘secularism’ refer to?

Q4. What do you mean by ‘freedom to interpret’?

Q5. Explain the concept of ‘principled distance’.

Q6. How are non-Muslims treated in Saudi

Q7. What is meant by the word ‘establishment’?

Q8. What is the most important aspect of

Q9. “The government cannot force Sikhs to wear

Q10. What provision has been made by the

Ans. In India, government spaces like law courts,

Q11. When does discrimination occur?

Q12. How Indian concept of secularism is

Q13. Why government schools are not allowed to

one religion either in their morning prayers or

Q14. What is secularism in Indian context?

Q16. What are the three objectives of a secular

i. One religious community does not dominate

ii. Some members do not dominate other

iii. State does not enforce any particular religion

Q17. Why is it important to separate religion from

i. To prevent the domination of one religion over

ii. To protect the freedom of individuals to exit

Q18. Site some historical examples of

i. Jews were persecuted in Hitler’s Germany.

ii. Jewish State of Israel treats its own Muslim

iii. In Saudi Arabia, non-Muslims are not allowed

Q19. Will the government intervene if some

Q20. Find out some examples of di erent views

i. In Hinduism, there are Vaishnavism, Shaivism,

ii. In Muslim community, there are Sunni, Shia,

iii. In Jainas, there are Shwetambar and Digambar

iv. In Buddhism, there are Hinayana, Mahayana

Q21. How does the Indian constitution ensure its

i. One religious community does not dominate

ii. Some members do not dominate other

iii. State does not enforce any particular religion

Q22. Look up the annual calendar of holidays of your

Ans. Holidays in school calendar

Hindu Holi, Dussehra, Diwali

Muslim Eid ul Zuha or Bakrid, Eid al-

Sikh Guru Gobind Singh Jayanti,

Christian Christmas, Goodfriday

This indicates that India is secular country where

Q23. Give one example to prove that the Indian

(‘upper-caste’ Hindus) dominate other members

Q24. List the di erent types of religious practice

i. Hindu performing Puja and Havan

ii. Muslims o ering Namaz

iii. Sikhs visiting Gurudwara

iv. Christians praying in Church