Understanding Secularism Class 8 Worksheet Civics Chapter 2

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)

Q1: What happened in Hitler's Germany? 

A) The assassination of Mrs. Indira Gandhi
B) Millions of people were killed
C) Bomb blast took place in Nagasaki
D) All of these 

Ans. B) Millions of people were killed

Q2: What could the tyranny of the majority result in? 

A) Violation of fundamental rights
B) Inequality
C) Intervention
D) None of these 

Ans. A) Violation of fundamental rights

Q3: What can we not do in government schools according to the chapter? 

A) Sing the national anthem
B) Sing Rashtriya Geet
C) Celebrate any religious festival
D) None of these

 Ans. C) Celebrate any religious festival

Q4: What does the term 'coercion' refer to in the context of the chapter? 

A) The ability of citizens to vote freely
B) Forcing someone to do something, as used by a legal authority
C) The practice of religious rituals in public spaces
D) The promotion of one religion over others by the State 

Ans. B) Forcing someone to do something, as used by a legal authority

Q5: What is the role of the State when it comes to religious practices in India, according to the chapter notes? 

A) To promote all religions equally in public institutions
B) To make laws based solely on the majority religion's doctrines
C) To ensure that religious practices do not violate fundamental rights
D) To observe religious practices in government functions 

Ans. C) To ensure that religious practices do not violate fundamental rights

Fill in the Blanks

Q1: The Indian Constitution requires the state to maintain a distance from religion. 

Q2: The Indian state allows certain exceptions for specific religious practices to respect their importance to those communities. 

Q3: Secularism refers to the separation of religion from the State. 

Q4: In a secular state, no one religious community should dominate another. 

Q5: The state can intervene in religious-based personal laws to ensure equality and justice.

True/False

Q1: In a secular state, the government can promote one religion as the state religion. 

Ans. False

Q2: Secularism protects individuals' rights to exit from their religion and choose another. 

Ans. True

Q3: The Indian state provides financial aid to religious schools on a preferential basis. 

Ans. False (It provides financial aid on a non-preferential basis.)

Q4: The concept of secularism includes the state not interfering with religious matters unless necessary for legal and equality reasons.

Ans. True

Q5: The Indian Constitution allows individuals the freedom to interpret religious teachings in their own way. 

Ans. True

Very Short Answers

Q1: What does the term ‘secularism’ refer to?

Ans. Secularism refers to this separation of religion from the State.

Q2: Explain the concept of ‘principled distance’.

Ans. This means that any interference in religion by the State has to be based on the ideals laid out in the Constitution.

Q3: What is meant by the word ‘establishment’?

Ans. The word ‘establishment’ means that the legislature cannot declare any religion as the official religion. Nor can they give preference to one religion.

Q4: “The government cannot force Sikhs to wear a helmet while driving two wheelers.” Give reason.

Ans. This is because the Indian State recognises that wearing a pugri (turban) is central to a Sikh’s religious practice and in order not to interfere with this, allows an exception in the law.

Q5: When does discrimination occur?

Ans. Discrimination occurs when members of one religious community either persecute or discriminate against members of other religious communities. These acts of discrimination take place more easily when one religion is given official recognition by the State at the expense of other religions.

Q6: Why government schools are not allowed to celebrate religious festival?

Ans. The celebration of the religious festival within the school would be a violation of the government’s policy of treating all religions equally. Government schools cannot promote any one religion either in their morning prayers or through religious celebrations. That’s why government schools are not allowed to celebrate religious festival.

Q7: When was law passed by French government banning religious symbols in school? What was its impact?

Ans. In February 2004, France passed a law banning students from wearing any conspicuous religious or political signs or symbols such as the Islamic headscarf, the Jewish skullcap, or large Christian crosses. This law has encountered a lot of resistance from immigrants who are mainly from the former French colonies of Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco.

Q8: Why is it important to separate religion from the State?

Ans. It is important to separate religion from the State because of the following reasons:
(i) To prevent the domination of one religion over another.
(ii) To protect the freedom of individuals to exit from their religion, embrace another religion or have the freedom to interpret religious teachings differently.

Q9: Will the government intervene if some religious group says that their religion allows them to practise infanticide? Give reasons for your answer.

Ans. The government will surely intervene if some religious group says that their religion allows them to practice infanticide because it involves killing of innocent child, which is against fundamental right – The Right to Life. No one is allowed to go against fundamental rights. Everyone's right to life shall be protected by law.

Q10: How does the Indian constitution ensure its objectives of secular state?

Ans. The Indian Constitution ensures its objectives of a secular state in the following manner:
(i) One religious community does not dominate another;
(ii) Some members do not dominate other members of the same religious community;
(iii)  State does not enforce any particular religion nor take away the religious freedom of individuals.