Question

4.How does the Indian state function as secular?​

Answer 1

Answer:

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• In practice, unlike Western notions of secularism, India's secularism does not separate religion and state.
• The Indian Constitution has allowed extensive interference of the state in religious affairs.
• India does partially separate religion and state.

Answer 2

Answer:

India does partially separate religion and state. For example, it does not have an official state religion and state-owned educational institutions cannot impart religious instructions.[5] In matters of law in modern India, however, the applicable code of law is unequal, and India's personal laws – on matters such as marriage, divorce, inheritance, alimony – varies with an individual's religion.[6][7]. The Indian Constitution permits partial financial support for religious schools, as well as the financing of religious buildings and infrastructure by the state.[8] The Islamic Central Wakf Council and many Hindu temples of great religious significance are administered and managed by the Indian government.[7][9] The attempt to respect unequal, religious law has created a number of issues in India such as acceptability of polygamy, unequal inheritance rights, extra judicial unilateral divorce rights favorable to some males, and conflicting interpretations of religious books.[10][11]

Secularism as practiced in India, with its marked differences with Western practice of secularism, is a controversial topic in India. Supporters of the Indian concept of secularism claim it respects "minorities and pluralism". Critics claim the Indian form of secularism as "pseudo-secularism".[2][12] Supporters state that any attempt to introduce a uniform civil code, that is equal laws for every citizen irrespective of his or her religion, would impose majoritarian Hindu sensibilities and ideals.[13][7] Critics state that India's acceptance of Sharia and religious laws violates the principle of Equality before the law.[14][15]