Social Justice & Welfare·Amendments

Religious Freedom — Amendments

Updated 5 Mar 2026
AmendmentYearDescriptionImpact
42nd Amendment1976Added the word 'secular' to the Preamble, explicitly declaring India as a secular republic. This amendment reinforced the constitutional commitment to religious neutrality and equal treatment of all religions.Strengthened the constitutional foundation for religious freedom by making secularism an explicit constitutional value, providing stronger basis for protecting religious minorities and preventing state favoritism towards any religion.