Secularism is a core point of the Constitution: SC

News: Yesterday, the Supreme Court said that secularism is an indelible and core part of the basic structure of the constitution.

1. Secularism: It is a philosophical principle that separates religion from other realms of human existence.

2. In Indian context, a positive conception of secularism is followed, where equal respect is given to all religions.

3. The words ‘socialist’, ‘secular’, and ‘integrity’ were added to the Preamble by the 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act in 1976.

4. Basic Structure Doctrine: It states that certain fundamental features of the constitution cannot be amended or abrogated by the Parliament through a constitutional amendment.

5. This doctrine was propounded by the Supreme Court in the Kesavananda Bharati case (1973).

6. Constitutional features like democracy, secularism, federalism, rule of law are part of the basic structure doctrine.