Freedom of religious vs state control : A study under article 25-28

The Constitution of India enshrines religious liberty as a cornerstone of its democratic framework, recognizing both the individual’s freedom of conscience and the collective rights of religious denominations. Articles 25 to 28 of Part III provide a constitutional guarantee of freedom of religion, while simultaneously subjecting it to limitations in the interest of public order, morality, health, and other constitutional principles. Unlike the Western conception of secularism, which advocates a rigid separation of church and State, the Indian model adopts a doctrine of “principled distance,” whereby the State maintains neutrality among religions while retaining the power to regulate practices inconsistent with constitutional values.