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VIII SS T1 Understanding Secularism - Textbook solutions
Understanding Secularism
I. Choose the correct answer
1. Secularism means ________
a) State is against to all religions
b) State accepts only one religion
c) An attitude of tolerance and peaceful co-existence on the part of citizen belonging any religion
d) None of these
Ans: c) An attitude of tolerance and peaceful co-existence on the part of citizen belonging any religion
2. India is a land of _______
a) multi - religious faith
b) multi - cultural beliefs
c) Both (1) & (2)
d) None of these
Ans:c) Both (1) & (2)
3. The Preamble of the Constitution was amended in__________.
a) 1951 b) 1976 c) 1974 d) 1967
Ans: b) 1976
4. Which one of the following describes India as a secular state?
a) Fundamental Rights
b) Fundamental Duty
c) Directive Principles of State Policy
d) Preamble of the Constitution
Ans:d) Preamble of the Constitution
5. Right to freedom of religion is related to
a) Judiciary
b) Parliament
c) Directive principles of State Policy
d) Fundamental rights
Ans: d) Fundamental Rights
6. According to Article 28, which type of education is restricted in state aided educational institutions?
a) Religious instruction
b) Moral education
c) Physical education
d) None above these
Ans: a) Religious instruction
7. The country will be considered as a secular country, if it _______
a) gives importance to a particular religion
b) bans religious instructions in the state – aided educational institutions.
c) does not give importance to a particular religion
d) bans the propagation of any religious belief.
Ans: b) bans religious instructions in the state – aided educational institutions.
II. Fill in the blanks:
1. Religion does not teach us animosity
2. Secularism is a part of democracy which grants equal rights to people
3. Atheism is a lack of belief in god and gods.
4. The basic aim of our constitution is to promote unity and integrity of the nation.
5. Article 15 prohibits discrimination on the grounds of religion, caste, sex or place of birth.
III. Match the following
1. Atheism – lack of belief in god
2. Children – future citizen
3. Din-i-Illahi – Divine faith
4. Constitution – 1950
5. Holvoake – coined the word secularism
6. Rajaram Mohan Roy – social reformer
IV. State true or false:
1. There is state religion in India.
False
2. The term secularism has been derived from the Greek word.
False
3. The Mughal emperor Akbar followed the policy of religious toleration.
True
4. Jainism originated in China.
False
5. Government of India declares holidays for all religious festivals.
True
V. Consider the following statements and tick the appropriate answer
1. (i) Secularism is invaluable for a society like India which is characterized by religious diversity.
(ii) The word secularism was not mentioned in the Constitution when it was adopted in 1950.
(iii) Article 26 deals with payment of taxes for the promotion of any particular religion.
(iv) Akbar’s tomb situated at Sikandara near Agra.
Ans: i, ii and iv only
2. Assertion (A): A foreigner can practice his own religious faith in India.
Reason (R): The freedom of religion is guaranteed by the constitution not only for Indians but also for the aliens also.
Ans: Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
3. Assertion (A): Secularism is invaluable in India.
Reason (R): India is a multi – religious and multi – cultural country.
Ans: A is correct and R is the correct explanation of A.
4. Find out the wrong pair.
(a) Din-i-Illahi – A book
(b) Khajuraho – Hindu temple
(c) Ashoka – Rock Edict
(d) Iqbal – Poet
Ans: Din-i-Illahi – A book
VI. Answer the following in one or two sentences
1. Name some of the Indians who contributed to spread of secularism.
Rajaram Mohan Roy, Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, Rabindranath Tagore, Mahatma Gandhi and B.R. Ambedkar were some of the noted individuals held high in public regards who contributed towards the spread of secularism.
2. What does secularism mean?
Secularism means an attitude of tolerance towards other religions and peaceful co-existence of citizens belonging to different faiths.
3. State the objectives of secularism.
Objectives of Secularism:
■ One religious group does not dominate another.
■ Some members don’t dominate other members of the same religious community.
■ The state does not enforce any specific religion nor take away the religious freedom of individuals
4. Why is it important to separate religion from the state?
It is important to separate religion from state because a secular state is one in which the state does not officially promote any one religion as state religion.
5. What are the characteristic features of a secular state?
Principle of Liberty – The state permits the practice of any religion
Principle of Equality – The state does not give preference to any religion over another.
Principle of Neutrality – The state remains neutral in religious matters.
6. Mention any three Constitutional provisions related to secularism.
Article 15 – prohibition of discrimination on grounds of religion, caste, sex or place of birth etc.,
Article 16 – equality of opportunity in public employment.
Article 26 – Freedom to manage religious affairs
VII. Answer the following in detail:
1. Why we need secular education?
Secular education is needed
■ to remove narrow mindedness and makes dynamic and enlightened view;
■ to develop moral and humanistic outlook;
■ to train the youth to be good citizen;
■ to strengthen democratic values like liberty, equality, and fraternity and co-operative living;
■ to give wider vision towards life;
■ to develop an attitude of appreciation and understanding of others point of view;
■ to develop the spirit of love, tolerance, co-operation, equality and sympathy;
■ to synthesize materialism and spiritualism
2. Secularism is necessary for a country like India. Justify.
India is a land of multi-religious faith and multi-cultural beliefs and people of diverse religions and beliefs have been living peacefully for a long time.
The concept of secularism is aimed at creating a society in which people of religious beliefs or people who do not belong to any religion can live together in harmony and peace.
We need to maintain peace and harmony between people of various religious ideologies. It is a part of democracy, which grants equal rights.
Secularism allows us to live in civility. It compels people to respect other religions. It grants equal rights to the people in respect of their religious faith. It is desirable for a country like India.
