Constitutional Safeguard for Minorities

  • Article 14: people’s right to ‘equality before the law’ and ‘equal protection of the laws’.
  • Article 15 (1) & (2): prohibition of discrimination against citizens on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth
  • Article 15  (4): authority  of  State  to  make  ‘any  special  provision  for  the advancement  of  any  socially  and  educationally  backward  classes  of  citizens’ (besides the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes).
  • Article 16(1)&(2): citizens’  right  to  ‘equality  of  opportunity’  in  matters relating  to  employment  or  appointment  to  any  office  under  the  State –and prohibition in this regard of discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth.
  • Article 16(4): Authority of State to make ‘any provision for the reservation of appointments or  posts  in  favour  of  any  backward  class  of  citizens  which,  in  the opinion  of  the  State,  is  not  adequately  represented in  the  services  under  the State.
  • Article 25(1): people’s  freedom of  conscience  and  right  to  freely  profess, practice  and  propagate  religion –subject  to  public  order,  morality  and  other Fundamental Rights.
  • Article 26: right  of  ‘every  religious  denomination  or  any  section  thereof –subject  to  public  order,  morality  and  health –to  establish  and  maintain institutions  for  religious  and  charitable  purposes,  ‘manage  its  own  affairs  in matters  of  religion’,  and  own  and  acquire  movable  immovable  property  and administer it ‘in accordance with law.
  • Article 27: prohibition  against  compelling  any  person  to  pay  taxes  for promotion of any particular religion.
  • Article 28: people’s  ‘freedom  as  to  attendance  at  religious  instruction  or religious  worship  in  educational  institutions’  wholly  maintained,  recognized,  or aided by the State.
  • Article 29(1): right of ‘any section of the citizens’ to ‘conserve’ its ‘distinct language, script or culture’.
  • Article 29(2): restriction  on  denial  of  admission  to  any  citizen,  to  any educational  institution  maintained  or  aided  by  the  State,  ‘on  grounds  only  of religion, race, caste, language or any of them’.
  • Article 30(1): right of  all  Religious  and  Linguistic  Minorities  to  establish  and administer educational institutions of their choice.
  • Article 30(2): freedom of Minority-managed  educational  institutions  from discrimination in the matter of receiving aid from the State.
  • Article 38 (2): obligation of the State ‘to endeavour to eliminate inequalities in status, facilities  and  opportunities’  amongst  individuals  and  groups  of  people residing in different areas or engaged in different vocations.
  • Article 46: obligation of State ‘to promote  with special care’ the  educational and economic interests of ‘the weaker sections of the people’ (besides Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes).
  • Article 347: special provision relating to the language spoken by a section of the population of any State.
  • Article 350  A: provision  for  facilities  for  instruction  in mother-tongue  at primary stage.
  • Article 350  B: provision  for  a  Special  Officer  for  Linguistic  Minorities  and  his duties;