Consider the following statements withrespect to freedom from taxation...
- Right to freedom of Religion (Articles 25 to 28) o Freedom from Taxation for the Promotion of a Religion under Article 27 lays down that no person shall be compelled to pay any taxes for the promotion or maintenance of any particular religion or religious denomination.
- In other words, the State should not spend the public money collected by way of tax for the promotion or maintenance of any particular religion. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
- This provision prohibits the State from favouring, patronising and supporting one religion over the other. This means that taxes can be used for the promotion or maintenance of all religions.
- This provision prohibits only the levy of a tax and not a fee. This is because the purpose of a fee is to control the secular administration of religious institutions and not to promote or maintain the religion. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.
- Thus, a fee can be levied on pilgrims to provide them with some special service or safety measures. Similarly, a fee can be levied on religious endowments for meeting the regulation expenditure.
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Consider the following statements withrespect to freedom from taxation...
Statement 1: State should not spend the money collected by way of tax for the promotion of any particular religion.
The first statement is correct. The principle of separation of religion and state is a fundamental aspect of a secular democracy. In a secular state, the government should not favor or promote any particular religion. This means that the money collected through taxes should not be used for the promotion of any specific religion. The state should remain neutral in matters of religion and should not interfere in religious affairs.
Statement 2: This provision prohibits the levy of a tax and fee to control the secular administration of religious institutions.
The second statement is incorrect. The provision mentioned in statement 2 does not relate to the freedom from taxation for the promotion of a religion. Instead, it refers to the prohibition of levying taxes and fees for the purpose of controlling the secular administration of religious institutions. In other words, the government cannot impose taxes or fees on religious institutions with the intention of regulating their non-religious activities, such as their financial management or administration. This provision ensures that religious institutions are not unduly burdened by excessive taxation or interference in their internal affairs.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, only statement 1 is correct. The state should not use tax money for the promotion of any particular religion in order to uphold the principle of religious neutrality. Statement 2 is incorrect as it refers to a different provision related to the secular administration of religious institutions.