Passage

In Part III of the Constitution, which assures people certain fundamental rights, Article 25 proclaims that “all persons are equally entitled to freedom of conscience and the right freely to profess, practise and propagate religion”. What people fail to notice is that this proclamation is prefixed with the words “subject to public order, morality, health and to the other provisions of this Part”, which set conditions precedent for the legal protection of religious practices of any community. The closing words of this prefatory rider in Article 25 virtually constitute a subordination clause placing other fundamental rights mentioned in Part III over and above the right to religious freedom. Among those other fundamental rights is the right to equality before law and equal protection of laws–assured at the outset and elaborated in later articles to mean, inter alia, that the State shall not deny equal protection of laws to any person or group of persons on the basis of religion alone.

QUESTION

CSAT

Hard

Comprehension

Prelims 2020

What is the most logical inference from the above passage?

Select an option to attempt

Explanation

Option A is incorrect. The passage states, “The closing words of this prefatory rider in Article 25 virtually constitute a subordination clause placing other fundamental rights mentioned in Part III over and above the right to religious freedom.” This implies that if the “other fundamental rights” in Part III are infringed upon under Article 25, the state is permitted to intervene.

Option B is correct. The passage mentions that the clause in Article 25 subordinates the right to religious freedom to other fundamental rights in Part III. This means the state can intervene if Article 25 is misused to undermine those other rights.

Option C is incorrect. The passage explains that Article 25, part of Part III of the Constitution, ensures “all persons are equally entitled to freedom of conscience and the right freely to profess, practice, and propagate religion.” This confirms that religious freedom is indeed covered under fundamental rights.

Option D is incorrect. The passage clarifies that Article 25 begins with the words, “subject to public order, morality, health and to the other provisions of this Part,” indicating that religious practices of any community are conditional and not exempt from state laws.

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