← All questionsGS2 · 2019 · Polity ·What France Can Learn from Indian Secularism
QUESTION 5
GS2
10 marks

What can France learn from the Indian Constitution’s approach to secularism?

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7 min
150 words
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What the examiner wants

Discuss lessons France's strict laïcité could draw from India's model of secularism.

DiscussExplain the different sides of the issue, use evidence, and finish with a balanced view.

Demand-wise check

  1. 1French laïcité: strict separation, ban on religious symbols in schools (2004), burqa ban (2010), abaya ban (2023)≈30 words
  2. 2Indian model: equal respect for all religions, principled distance, state can support minorities (Article 29, 30), reasonable accommodation≈30 words
  3. 3Lessons: accommodation reduces alienation, freedom of expression of faith, protecting minority institutions≈30 words
  4. 4Caution: India's own challenges≈30 words

Open in about 20 words and close in about 20.

Answer plan

Two modelsDifferencesLessonsCautionConclusion

Where marks usually go

  • Describing Indian secularism without comparing with France
  • No caution

Draw this

  • Table: India vs France on state–religion relation, religious symbols, minority institutions, state aid, reform power

Value addition

  • LawFrance's 1905 Law on the Separation of the Churches and the State is the basis of laïcité.French law, 1905
  • CaseIndian courts protect only essential religious practices (Shirur Mutt, 1954), engaging with religion rather than excluding it as France does.Supreme Court, 1954

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