"Indian secularism is different from secularism practised in the USA."…
2023
"Indian secularism is different from secularism practised in the USA." Identify the correct options from below which identify the differences between the two.
A. In USA, neither the state nor religion can interfere in each other's matters.
B. In the Indian Constitution, there is a provision for Protection of Minority Rights.
C. Both USA and India maintain strict separation between state affairs and religious affairs.
D. In USA, state can allow religious reforms, unlike India.
Choose the correct option:
- A.
B and C
- B.
A and C
- C.
C and D
- D.
A and B
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: D
Concept
Secularism describes the relationship a constitution builds between the state and religion, and different countries embed different versions of this idea. The American (US) model follows a "wall of separation": the state and religious institutions are barred from interfering in each other's domain at all. The Indian model follows "principled distance": the state stays equally respectful of all religions but can still intervene positively in religious affairs — to reform discriminatory practices, regulate religious institutions, or give specific constitutional protection to religious and linguistic minorities.
Application
Statement A: True. It correctly describes the American approach of mutual non-interference between state and religion.
Statement B: True. The Indian Constitution carries explicit provisions protecting the rights of religious and linguistic minorities (Articles 29–30), which is a distinctive, positive feature of the Indian model rather than the American one.
Statement C: False. Indian secularism does not maintain a strict wall between the state and religious affairs — the state has intervened in religious matters, for example to end untouchability, regulate temple administration, and reform personal laws.
Statement D: False, and in fact reversed. It is the Indian state, not the American state, that has stepped in to enable religious and social reform; the American wall-of-separation model restricts the state from doing exactly that.
Cross-check
The question asks specifically for statements that identify genuine differences. Statement C wrongly claims both countries maintain identical strict separation, and Statement D inverts which country's state actually intervenes in religious affairs — so neither can be a correct difference. Only Statements A and B hold up as accurate, verifiable differences between the two models.
The pairing of Statement A and Statement B is therefore the option that correctly identifies the differences between Indian and American secularism.