On this page, you will find NCERT Class 8 Civics Chapter 2 Notes Pdf free download. CBSE Class 8 Social Science Notes Civics Chapter 2 SST Understanding Secularism will seemingly, help them to revise the important concepts in less time.
Understanding Secularism Class 8 Notes Social Science Civics Chapter 2
CBSE Class 8 Civics Chapter 2 Notes Understanding the Lesson
1. History provides us the many examples that show how there was discrimination, exclusion and persecution on the ground of religion.
2. Maximum times members of one religious community either persecute or discriminate against member of other religious communities.
3. The process of discrimination always occurs at the time when one religion is given official recognition by the State at the expense of other religions.
4. No one would wish to be discriminated against because of their religion nor dominated by another religion.
5. In India the Indian Constitution allows individuals the freedom to live by their religious beliefs and practices as they interpret these.
6. For the above purpose, India adopted a studying of separating the power of religions and the power of the State.
7. Secularism refers to this separation of religions from the State.
8. To function democratically it is important for a country that there should exist the separation of religion from State power.
9. If majority religious groups have the access to State power, they misuse their power against other religions.
10. The majority could quite easily prevent minorities from practising their religions.
11. This will result in the tyranny of the majority and the violation of Fundamental Rights.
12. This shows why it is important to separate the State and religion in democratic societies.
13. The need to protect the freedom of industries to exit from their religion, embrace religion or have the freedom to interpret religious teachings differently. This is another reason that shows the importance of separation of religions from the State.
14. India Secularism, according to the Indian Constitution, it is mandatory for the Indian State to be secular.
15. As per the Constitution, only a secular State can realise its objective to ensure the following:
16. That one religious communists does not dominate another.
17. That some members do not dominate other members of the same religious community.
18. That the State does not enforce any particular religion non take away the religions freedom of individuals.
19. Indian State works in various ways to prevent the above domination.
20. Indian State is not ruled by a religious group and nor does it support any religion.
21. Government schools cannot promote any religions either in the morning prayers or through religions celebrations.
22. Indians secularism also works on the strategy of non interference.
23. It means that in order to respect the sentiments of all religions and not interfere with religious practices, the State makes certain exception for particular religions communities. For e.g., A sikh while riding bike can wear Pugri (turban) instead of helmet.
24. Indian secularism also works to prevent domination of majority over minority through the strategy of intervention.
25. Indian Constitution bans untouchability.
26. To ensure that laws relating equal inheritance rights are respected, the State may have to intervene in the religion-based ‘personal laws’ communities.
27. The Indian Constitution grants the right to religious communities to set up their own schools and colleges. Also the financial aid on non-preferential basis is provided to them.
28. There is a strict separation between religion and the State in U.S.A. While in Indian secularism, the State can intervene in the religious affairs.
29. The Indian State is secular and works in various ways to prevent religious domination.
30. The Indian Constitution gurantees Fundamental Rights that are based on these secular principles.
31. To prevent violation of these rights in India Society we need Constitutional mechanism to prevent them from happening.
32. The knowledge that such rights exist, makes us sensitive to their violations and enables us to take action when these violations takes place.
Understanding Secularism Class 8 CBSE Notes Important Terms
Secularism: India adopted a strategy of separating the power of religion and the power of the State. This separation of religion from the State that is called secularism.
Intervene: It refers to the State’s efforts to influence a particular matter in accordance with the principle of the Constitution.
Coercion: to force someone to do something. It refers to the force used by a legal authority like the State.
Freedom to interpret: It refers to the freedom that all persons shall have to understand things in their own way.