NCERT CLASS 8 REVISION WWW.LEARNSOCIALSCIENCE WORDPRESS.COM WWW.ESTRESURE.BLOGS.COM jkkumarsrs@gmail.com

1. NCERT
CLASS: 8

2. • Q1. What does the term ‘secularism’ refer to?
• Ans. Secularism refers to this separation of
religion from the State.
• Q2. What do you mean by ‘freedom to
interpret’?
• Ans. ‘Freedom to interpret’ means an
individual’s liberty to develop his own
understanding and meaning of the religious
teachings.
• Q3. 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.

3. • Q4. How are non-Muslims treated in Saudi Arabia?
• Ans. In Saudi Arabia, non-Muslims are not allowed
to build a temple, church etc., and nor can they
gather in a public place for prayers.
• Q5. 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.
Q6. What is the most important aspect of
secularism? State its importance.
• Ans. The most important aspect of secularism is its
separation of religion from State power. This is
important for a country to function democratically.

4. • Q7. “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.
• Q18. What provision has been made by the
government to follow religious equality in
government spaces, schools and offices?
• Ans. In India, government spaces like law courts,
police stations, government schools and offices
are not supposed to display or promote any one
religion. Government schools cannot promote any
one religion either in their morning prayers or
through religious celebrations.

5. • Q9. When does discrimination occur?
Or
When does the act of discrimination take place?
• 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.
Q10. How Indian concept of secularism is different
from United States?
• Ans. There is one significant way in which Indian
secularism differs from the dominant understanding of
secularism as practised in the United States of
America. This is because unlike the strict separation
between religion and the State in American
secularism, in Indian secularism the State can
intervene in religious affairs.

6. • Q11. 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.
• Q12. What is secularism in Indian context?
• Ans. The Indian Constitution allows individuals the
freedom to live by their religious beliefs and
practices as they interpret these. In keeping with
this idea of religious freedom for all, India also
adopted a strategy of separating the power of
religion and the power of the State. Secularism
refers to this separation of religion from the State.

7. • Q13. 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.
• Q14. What are the three objectives of a secular State?
Or
State the three objectives of a secular State.
• Ans. The three objectives of a secular State are:
• 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.

8. • Q15. Why is it important to separate religion from the State?
Or
Why does state not interfere in religious matter?
• 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.
• Q16. Site some historical examples of discrimination.
• Ans. Historical examples of discrimination are:
• i. Jews were persecuted in Hitler’s Germany.
• ii. Jewish State of Israel treats its own Muslim
and Christian minorities quite badly.
• iii. In Saudi Arabia, non-Muslims are not allowed
to build a temple, church etc., and nor can they gather in a
public place for prayers.

9. • Q17. 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.
• Q18. Find out some examples of different views within the
same religion.
• Ans. Different views are found within the same religion. For
example:
• i. In Hinduism, there are Vaishnavism,
Shaivism, Shaktism and Smartism.
• ii. In Muslim community, there are Sunni,
Shia, Ahmadiyya and Quranists.
• iii. In Jainas, there are Shwetambar and
Digambar sects.

10. • Q19. 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.

11. Q20. Look up the annual calendar of holidays of
your school. How many of them pertain to different
religions? What does this indicate?
Ans. Holidays in school calendar
Religions Holidays
Hindu Holi, Dussehra, Diwali
Muslim Eid ul Zuha or Bakrid, Eid al-Fitr, Muharram
Sikh Guru Gobind Singh Jayanti, Gurpurab
Christian Christmas, Goodfriday
This indicates that India is secular country where religious
freedom is granted to its citizens and all religions are equally
respected.

12. • Q21. Give one example to prove that the Indian
secular state can intervene to prevent the
religious domination concerning different groups
of the same religion.
• Ans. We can prove this fact with following
example: Where members of the same religion
(‘upper-caste’ Hindus) dominate other members
(some ‘lower castes’) within it. In order to
prevent this religion-based exclusion and
discrimination of ‘lower castes’, the Indian
Constitution banned untouchability. In this
instance, the State is intervening in religion in
order to end a social practice that it believes
discriminates and excludes, and that violates the
Fundamental Rights of ‘lower castes’ who are
citizens of this country.

13. • Q22. List the different types of religious practice that
you find in your neighbourhood. This could be different
forms of prayer, worship of different gods, sacred sites,
different kinds of religious music and singing etc. Does
this indicate freedom of religious practice?
• Ans. The various types of religious practice found in our
neighbourhood are:
• i. Hindu performing Puja and Havan
• ii. Muslims offering Namaz
• iii. Sikhs visiting Gurudwara
• iv. Christians praying in Church
• There are churches, gurudwaras, mosques and temples
in our neighbourhood. People of different cultures and
religions stay together and celebrate festivals. This
indicates that all the citizens are able to practice their
religion with freedom in secular environment.

14. Q23. Complete the following table:
Objective Why is this important? Example of a violation of this
objective
One religious community
does not dominate another.
This is important:
i. To avoid
discrimination.
ii. To establish
harmony in the society.
iii. To protect
the Fundamental Right to
Freedom of Religion.
Demolition of the Babri Masjid
on 6 December 1992. A large
crowd of Hindu Kar Sevaks
demolished the 16th-century
Babri Mosque in the city of
Ayodhya, in Uttar Pradesh.
The demolition occurred after
a political rally at the site
turned violent.
The State does not enforce
any particular religion nor
take away the religious
freedom of individuals.
This is important to uphold
the ideals of democratic
nation which allow its citizens
to choose whichever religion
they wish to follow.
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.
That some members do not
dominate other members of
the same religious
community.
This is important in order to
establish equality in the
society.
Dalits were looked down upon
and were discouraged to
enter temples.

15. • Q24. In what ways does the Indian state work to prevent
domination of the majority religious group?
• Ans. The Indian State works in various ways to prevent the
domination.
• i. First, it uses a strategy of distancing itself from
religion. The Indian State is not ruled by a religious group
and nor does it support any one religion. In India,
government spaces like law courts, police stations,
government schools and offices are not supposed to display
or promote any one religion.
• ii. The second way in which Indian secularism works to
prevent the above domination is through a strategy of
noninterference. This means that in order to respect the
sentiments of all religions and not interfere with religious
practices, the State makes certain exceptions for particular
religious communities.
• iii. The third way in which Indian secularism works to
prevent the domination listed earlier is through a strategy
of intervention. The State intervenes in religion in order to
end a social practice that it believes discriminates and
excludes, and that violates the Fundamental Rights of
people who are citizens of this country.

16. • Q25. The Indian State both keeps away from religion as well as
intervenes in religion. This idea can be quite confusing. Discuss
this once again in class using examples from the chapter as well
as those that you might have come up with.
• Ans. In Indian secularism, though the State is not strictly separate
from religion, it does maintain a principled distance vis-à-vis
religion. This means that any interference in religion by the State
has to be based on the ideals laid out in the Constitution.
• For example:
• i. Where members of the same religion (‘upper-caste’ Hindus)
dominate other members (some ‘lower castes’) within it. In order
to prevent this religion-based exclusion and discrimination of
‘lower castes’, the Indian Constitution banned untouchability. In
this instance, the State is intervening in religion in order to end a
social practice that it believes discriminates and excludes, and
that violates the Fundamental Rights of ‘lower castes’ who are
citizens of this country.
• ii. Similarly, to ensure that laws relating to equal inheritance
rights are respected, the State may have to intervene in the
religion-based ‘personal laws’ of communities.
• iii. The intervention of the State can also be in the form of
support. The Indian Constitution grants the right to religious
communities to set up their own schools and colleges. It also
gives them financial aid on a non-preferential basis.

17. ALL THE BEST!