{"id":13668,"date":"2025-12-31T07:12:55","date_gmt":"2025-12-31T07:12:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/?p=13668"},"modified":"2025-12-31T07:18:45","modified_gmt":"2025-12-31T07:18:45","slug":"secularism-in-the-indian-constitution-the-role-of-the-forty-second-amendment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.legalserviceindia.com\/Legal-Articles\/secularism-in-the-indian-constitution-the-role-of-the-forty-second-amendment\/","title":{"rendered":"Secularism in the Indian Constitution: The Role of the Forty-Second Amendment"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

<\/span>Addition of \u201cSecular\u201d to the Preamble of the Indian Constitution<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The addition of the word “secular” to the Preamble of the Indian Constitution through the 42nd Amendment in 1976 stands as one of the most significant yet contentious modifications to India’s foundational document. While the concept of secularism had been implicit in the constitutional framework since 1950, its formal inclusion sparked debates that continue to resonate in contemporary Indian politics and jurisprudence. This transformation, enacted during one of the darkest periods in Indian democracy, raises profound questions about the nature of constitutional change, the relationship between state and religion, and the evolving identity of the Indian nation.<\/p>

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