QUESTION 15
GS2
15 marks
Discuss India as a secular state and compare with the secular principles of the US constitution.
WRITE IN
11 min
250 words
What the examiner wants
Discuss India's secular state and compare it with the secular principles of the US Constitution.
CompareSet out the similarities and the differences side by side.
Demand-wise check
- 1India: equal respect, principled distance, state can reform religion (Article 25(2)), minority rights (Articles 29–30), 'secular' in Preamble (1976)≈65 words
- 2USA: First Amendment — Establishment Clause and Free Exercise Clause; 'wall of separation'≈65 words
- 3Comparison and assessment≈65 words
Open in about 30 words and close in about 30.
Answer plan
Indian modelUS modelComparison tableConclusion
Where marks usually go
- Not comparing directly
- Not citing the First Amendment
Draw this
- Comparison table
Value addition
- Case lawS.R. Bommai (1994): secularism is part of the basic structure.Supreme Court of India, 1994
- US lawFirst Amendment: 'Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof'.US Constitution
Mapped topper copies
Reviewed public-source references related to this PYQ. Same-syllabus references are labelled separately.
- Alfred Thomas · Page 15 ↗Reviewed PYQ reference
- Akash Kumar · AIR 101 · Page 9 ↗Reviewed PYQ reference
- Aditya Srivastava · AIR 1 · Page 29 ↗Same syllabus reference
- Alfred Thomas · Page 7 ↗Same syllabus reference
Links open original public sources. MainsBuddy does not host these answer sheets.
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