Right to Freedom of Religion — MCQs

All questions with answers and explanations

Read the full set here, or use the practice card above to test yourself one question at a time.

1. Article 25 guarantees freedom of conscience and the right to freely profess, practise and propagate religion to whom?

   • Only citizens of India
   • All persons, subject to public order, morality and health (correct answer)
   • Only members of recognised religious denominations
   • Only Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists

   Explanation. Article 25(1) guarantees this freedom to 'all persons', not just citizens, subject to public order, morality, health and the other provisions of Part III.

2. What test did the Supreme Court lay down in the Shirur Mutt case (1954) to determine what religious practices are protected under Article 25?

   • The essential religious practices test (correct answer)
   • The strict scrutiny test
   • The reasonable classification test
   • The public order test alone

   Explanation. Shirur Mutt (Commissioner, HRE v. Sri Lakshmindra Thirtha Swamiar) held that only practices genuinely essential and integral to a religion are constitutionally protected under Article 25.

3. Does Article 25(1) protect purely secular activities that happen to be associated with a religious practice?

   • Yes, always without restriction
   • No, the State may regulate secular, economic, financial, or political activity associated with religious practice under Article 25(2)(a) (correct answer)
   • Only if the activity is profitable
   • Only for minority religions

   Explanation. Article 25(2)(a) allows the State to regulate or restrict any economic, financial, political or other secular activity associated with religious practice.

4. What does Article 25(2)(b) permit the State to do?

   • Ban all religious conversions
   • Provide for social welfare and reform, and throw open Hindu religious institutions of a public character to all classes and sections of Hindus (correct answer)
   • Impose a religion-specific tax
   • Prohibit religious processions

   Explanation. Article 25(2)(b) empowers the State to legislate for social welfare and reform and to throw open Hindu public religious institutions to all classes and sections of Hindus, including formerly excluded groups.

5. Does the right to 'propagate' religion under Article 25 include a right to forcibly convert another person?

   • Yes, propagation includes any method of conversion
   • No, it means transmitting or spreading one's beliefs, not a right to forcible conversion (correct answer)
   • Only for state-recognised religions
   • Only during religious festivals

   Explanation. The right to propagate covers the transmission and spreading of one's own religious beliefs to others; it does not extend to forcible conversion, which is not a facet of freedom of conscience.

6. In Bijoe Emmanuel v. State of Kerala (1986), the Supreme Court held that expelling students for not singing the national anthem violated which right?

   • Article 19(1)(a) only
   • Article 25's freedom of conscience, since the students respectfully stood but did not sing due to genuine religious belief (correct answer)
   • Article 21 alone
   • Article 29(1) only

   Explanation. The Court held that expelling Jehovah's Witness students who stood respectfully but did not sing, owing to a genuinely held religious belief, violated their freedom of conscience under Article 25.

7. Which of the following would most likely fall outside the protection of Article 25, applying the essential religious practices test?

   • A practice that is genuinely integral to the tenets of the religion
   • A practice that is not essential to the religion, judged by the religion's own doctrines (correct answer)
   • A core ritual mandated by the religion's foundational texts
   • Worship at a place of religious significance

   Explanation. In Shirur Mutt the Court held that the State's power covers only secular activity, not practices essential to the religion. The essential religious practices test looks to the religion's own doctrines.

8. Article 25 is expressly made subject to which other provisions of Part III?

   • Only Article 14
   • The other provisions of Part III, including Articles 26 to 30 (correct answer)
   • Only Article 32
   • None; it is absolute

   Explanation. Article 25(1) itself is subject to public order, morality, health, and the other provisions of Part III, meaning it must be harmonised with rights like Articles 26-30.

9. In Indian Young Lawyers Association v. State of Kerala (2018), the Supreme Court, by a 4:1 majority, held that the bar on women aged 10 to 50 entering Sabarimala:

   • Was an essential religious practice
   • Violated Article 25(1) and was not an essential religious practice (correct answer)
   • Was protected by Article 26 as a denomination's right
   • Was valid under Article 25(2)(b)

   Explanation. The majority held that Ayyappa devotees are not a separate denomination and the exclusion is not an essential practice. The bar could not stand.

10. Who is the holder of the rights guaranteed under Article 26, as opposed to Article 25?

    • Every individual person
    • Every religious denomination or section thereof (correct answer)
    • Only the State
    • Only registered trusts

    Explanation. Article 26 is a group right vested in 'every religious denomination or any section thereof', unlike Article 25 which is an individual right.

11. Which of the following is NOT one of the four rights guaranteed to a religious denomination under Article 26?

    • To establish and maintain institutions for religious and charitable purposes
    • To manage its own affairs in matters of religion
    • To acquire and administer movable and immovable property in accordance with law
    • To be completely exempt from all taxation (correct answer)

    Explanation. Article 26 guarantees establishing institutions, managing religious affairs, and owning/administering property in accordance with law — it does not grant blanket tax exemption.

12. What three things does a 'religious denomination' need under Article 26?

    • Population size, wealth, and political influence
    • A system of belief its members regard as good for their spiritual well-being, a common organisation, and a distinctive name (correct answer)
    • Registration under the Societies Act, a governing board, and a written constitution
    • State recognition, a place of worship, and an annual budget

    Explanation. A religious denomination needs a system of belief that its members regard as good for their spiritual well-being, a common organisation, and a distinctive name. In S.P. Mittal v. Union of India (1983), neither the Sri Aurobindo Society nor the Auroville township was held to be a denomination.

13. Is the right to 'manage its own affairs in matters of religion' under Article 26(b) subject to regulation by ordinary law?

    • Yes, it can be freely overridden by any statute
    • No, unlike property administration under Article 26(d), matters of religion under 26(b) are not subject to 'in accordance with law' (correct answer)
    • It depends only on the denomination's own wishes
    • It applies only to Hindu institutions

    Explanation. Article 26(b)'s right to manage religious affairs is not qualified by 'in accordance with law', unlike Article 26(d) which governs secular property administration.

14. Can the State regulate the secular, administrative aspects of a religious denomination's property under Article 26(d)?

    • No, property administration is entirely beyond State regulation
    • Yes, since Article 26(d) itself is qualified by 'in accordance with law' (correct answer)
    • Only with the denomination's written consent
    • Only for Christian institutions

    Explanation. Article 26(d) expressly makes the right to administer property subject to law, allowing State regulation of the secular/administrative dimension.

15. In Sardar Syedna Taher Saifuddin Saheb v. State of Bombay (1962), the Supreme Court, by 4:1, struck down the Bombay Prevention of Ex-communication Act, 1949 because it breached:

    • Article 14
    • Article 26(b), the right to manage its own affairs in matters of religion (correct answer)
    • Article 27
    • Article 28

    Explanation. A five-Judge Bench held that the Act breached Article 26(b) and was not saved by Article 25(2). The head of the Dawoodi Bohra community had challenged it.

16. Which Article's freedom is an individual right, in contrast to Article 26's group right vested in a denomination?

    • Article 25 (correct answer)
    • Article 32
    • Article 14
    • Article 301

    Explanation. Article 25 guarantees freedom of conscience and religion to individuals, while Article 26 vests rights collectively in a religious denomination.

17. Article 26, like Article 25, is subject to which limitations?

    • Public order, morality and health (correct answer)
    • Only national security
    • Only economic policy
    • No limitations at all

    Explanation. Article 26 opens with the words 'Subject to public order, morality and health', the same limiting conditions applicable to Article 25.

18. What does Article 27 prohibit?

    • Compelling any person to pay taxes whose proceeds are specifically appropriated for the promotion or maintenance of any particular religion or denomination (correct answer)
    • All taxation by the State
    • Donations to religious institutions
    • Registration of religious trusts

    Explanation. Article 27 prohibits compelling a person to pay taxes whose proceeds are specifically used to promote or maintain a particular religion or denomination.

19. Does Article 27 prohibit a general tax whose revenue goes into the Consolidated Fund and is only incidentally used to benefit religious institutions generally?

    • Yes, any benefit to religion from tax revenue is barred
    • No, Article 27 only bars a tax earmarked specifically for promoting a particular religion, not a general tax merged into the Consolidated Fund (correct answer)
    • Yes, but only for minority religions
    • No, Article 27 has no application to taxation at all

    Explanation. Article 27 targets taxes specifically earmarked for a particular religion; a general tax credited to the Consolidated Fund and spent for secular administrative purposes, even if it incidentally benefits religious institutions, is not barred.

20. Which Article says that no person shall be compelled to pay any tax whose proceeds are specifically appropriated for the promotion or maintenance of any particular religion or denomination?

    • Article 27 (correct answer)
    • Article 25
    • Article 26
    • Article 28

    Explanation. Article 27 bars only a compulsory tax whose proceeds are specifically spent on one religion or denomination.

21. Which Article opens with the words "Subject to public order, morality and health" and gives a religious denomination four rights?

    • Article 26 (correct answer)
    • Article 27
    • Article 28
    • Article 29

    Explanation. Article 26 belongs to a group, not a person. Subject to public order, morality and health, a denomination may establish institutions, manage its own religious affairs, own property and administer it in accordance with law.

22. Would a levy that is proved to have no correlation to any service and is used exclusively to maintain the properties of one particular religious denomination survive Article 27 scrutiny?

    • Yes, since religious institutions can always be taxed
    • No, such a levy would be a religion-specific 'tax' and would violate Article 27 (correct answer)
    • Yes, if the denomination consents
    • No, but only if the amount exceeds Rs. 10,000

    Explanation. A levy with no correlation to services, exclusively appropriated for one religion's maintenance, is precisely the kind of religion-specific tax Article 27 forbids.

23. Does Article 27 prevent the State from spending general tax revenue on secular welfare schemes that happen to also benefit a religious community, such as road access to a temple town?

    • Yes, absolutely
    • No, since the expenditure is secular and not specifically appropriated to promote a particular religion (correct answer)
    • Yes, unless all religions receive identical roads
    • No, but only if a court pre-approves the expenditure

    Explanation. General secular expenditure that incidentally benefits a religious community, without being specifically appropriated to promote that religion, does not attract Article 27.

24. In Mahant Sri Jagannath Ramanuj Das v. State of Orissa (1954), the Court held that a similar payment under the Orissa Act was:

    • A fee, and it fell outside Article 27 (correct answer)
    • A tax barred by Article 27
    • A voluntary donation
    • An unconstitutional cess

    Explanation. The Court held that a similar payment under the Orissa Act was a fee, and that it also fell outside Article 27.

25. Article 27's protection runs in favour of whom?

    • Only religious denominations
    • The taxpayer, who cannot be compelled to fund a particular religion through taxation (correct answer)
    • Only the Union Government
    • Only State Legislatures

    Explanation. Article 27 protects the individual taxpayer from being compelled, through the tax system, to fund the promotion of a particular religion they may not follow.

26. Under Article 28(1), religious instruction is completely barred in which category of institutions?

    • Educational institutions wholly maintained out of State funds (correct answer)
    • All private schools
    • Institutions run by religious trusts
    • Colleges affiliated to any university

    Explanation. Article 28(1) bars religious instruction in any educational institution wholly maintained out of State funds.

27. Does Article 28(2) apply the same absolute bar to institutions administered by the State but established under an endowment or trust requiring religious instruction?

    • Yes, identical to Article 28(1)
    • No, Article 28(2) exempts such institutions from the Article 28(1) bar (correct answer)
    • No such exception exists anywhere in Article 28
    • Yes, but only for minority-run institutions

    Explanation. Article 28(2) carves out an exception: institutions administered by the State but established under an endowment/trust requiring religious instruction are not subject to the Article 28(1) bar.

28. What does Article 28(3) protect for students in institutions recognised by, or receiving aid from, the State?

    • The right to receive free religious instruction from the State
    • The right not to be compelled to attend religious instruction, or worship in a place of worship, without their (or their guardian's) consent (correct answer)
    • The right to establish a new religious institution
    • The right to a religion-specific curriculum

    Explanation. Article 28(3) protects students at State-recognised or State-aided institutions from being compelled to attend religious instruction or worship without their or their guardian's consent.

29. Whose consent is relevant under Article 28(3) if the student is a minor?

    • Only the student's own consent, regardless of age
    • The guardian's consent (correct answer)
    • The school management's consent
    • The local government's consent

    Explanation. Where the student is a minor, Article 28(3) makes the guardian's consent the relevant safeguard against compelled religious instruction.

30. Which category of institutions falls entirely outside Article 28's scheme, being free to impart religious instruction without any of these restrictions?

    • Institutions administered by the State but established under a trust requiring religious instruction (Article 28(2))
    • Purely private institutions not maintained, recognised, or aided by the State at all (correct answer)
    • Government universities
    • Government-aided minority schools

    Explanation. A purely private institution receiving no State funds, recognition, or aid is not covered by Article 28(1) or 28(3) at all and may impart religious instruction freely.

31. Article 28 is best understood as securing which broader constitutional value?

    • The secular character of State-funded education (correct answer)
    • Freedom of the press
    • Equality before the law in employment
    • Federalism between Centre and States

    Explanation. Article 28 is designed to preserve the secular character of State-funded and State-recognised education by regulating compulsory religious instruction in such institutions.

32. If a State-recognised, State-aided school includes optional religious instruction outside regular class hours with parental consent, is this consistent with Article 28(3)?

    • No, any religious instruction in an aided school is unconstitutional
    • Yes, since Article 28(3) only bars compulsion without consent, not consensual optional instruction (correct answer)
    • No, unless the school is wholly State-funded
    • Yes, but only for one particular religion

    Explanation. Article 28(3) prohibits compelling attendance without consent — genuinely optional instruction with informed parental consent does not run afoul of it.

33. Which two categories of educational institutions does Article 28, taken as a whole, distinguish between?

    • Urban and rural institutions
    • Institutions wholly funded by the State (absolute bar) versus institutions merely recognised or aided by the State (qualified, consent-based bar) (correct answer)
    • Co-educational and single-gender institutions
    • Primary and higher-secondary institutions

    Explanation. Article 28 draws a graded distinction: wholly State-funded institutions face an absolute bar on religious instruction (28(1)), while merely recognised/aided institutions face only a consent-based restriction (28(3)).