RAS question
Under Article 26, every religious denomination has the right to do all of the following EXCEPT:
Correct answer: (A) Receive government funding as a matter of right.
Article 26 does not give a religious denomination a right to receive government funding as a matter of right.
Explanation
Article 26 protects the freedom of every religious denomination, or any section of it, to manage religious affairs, subject to public order, morality and health. Its listed rights are specific: establishing and maintaining institutions for religious and charitable purposes, managing its own religious affairs, owning and acquiring movable and immovable property, and administering that property in accordance with law. These clauses explain why options B, C and D are protected. The article does not add a right to demand government funding, so receiving government funding as a matter of right falls outside Article 26.
Why the other options are wrong
- (B) Establishing and maintaining institutions for religious and charitable purposes is expressly protected by Article 26(a).
- (C) Managing its own affairs in matters of religion is expressly protected by Article 26(b), subject to public order, morality and health.
- (D) Owning, acquiring and administering movable and immovable property is covered by Article 26(c) and 26(d), with administration governed by law.
Concept
This tests the Fundamental Rights provisions on freedom of religion, especially the exact scope of Article 26. It recurs in RAS because small wording changes can turn a protected denominational right into an unsupported claim.