Which one among the following is not a character of a secular State?
It refuses theocracy.
It separates religion from the State.
A State in order to be secular must be democratic.
It must prevent religious conflict and promote religious harmony.
Answer is Right!
Answer is Wrong!
This question was previously asked in
UPSC CDS-2 – 2020
A state in order to be secular must be democratic. This statement is not necessarily correct. Secularism primarily concerns the state’s relationship with religion (separation or neutrality), while democracy concerns the political system (rule by the people). A state can be secular without being democratic (e.g., some authoritarian states might separate religion from state affairs), and historically, democratic states have not always been secular.
Characteristics of a secular state generally include the absence of a state religion (refusal of theocracy), separation of religious institutions from state affairs, equal treatment of all religions by the state, and efforts to manage religious diversity and prevent conflict.