RAS question
Article 26 guarantees the right to manage religious affairs. Under Article 26(b), religious denominations can manage their own affairs in matters of:
Correct answer: (C) Religion.
Under Article 26(b) of the Constitution of India, every religious denomination or any section of it has the right to manage its own affairs in matters of religion.
Explanation
Article 26 protects the freedom of religious denominations, subject to public order, morality and health. Clause (b) is narrow and specific: it allows a religious denomination, or any section of it, to manage its own affairs in matters of religion. That is why the answer is simply religion, not administration, politics or every temporal activity. The surrounding clauses show the distinction. Article 26(c) separately recognises the right to own and acquire movable and immovable property, while Article 26(d) deals with administering such property in accordance with law. The constitutional consequence is clear: the State may regulate secular activities of religious bodies, but Article 26(b) protects denominational control over religious affairs.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Article 26(b) covers religious affairs, while property ownership and administration are dealt with separately under clauses 26(c) and 26(d).
- (B) Article 26(b) does not cover all temporal and spiritual matters; its wording is confined to matters of religion.
- (D) Article 26(b) protects management of religious affairs, not political or economic activity by a religious denomination.
Concept
This tests the Right to Freedom of Religion, especially the clause-wise scope of Article 26. It recurs in RAS because questions often turn on the difference between protected religious affairs and secular matters that the State can regulate.