Punjab enacted a new sacrilege law expanding definition beyond physical desecration of Guru Granth Sahib to include words, signs, and representations
GK and monthly revision
A secular republic’s sacrilege problem
Punjab has enacted a new sacrilege law that expands the definition of religious offence beyond physical desecration of the Guru Granth Sahib to include words, signs, and representations. This legislative move has reignited constitutional debate on criminalising religious offence in a secular republic, raising questions about freedom of expression under Article 19(1)(a) and the scope of reasonable restrictions under Article 19(2). The law's broad scope brings expressive conduct within penal provisions, making it a critical case study for Centre-State legislative competence and secularism jurisprudence. For competitive exams, this development is highly relevant for polity, governance, and current affairs sections.
Source: The Hindu. This summary and analysis are AI-written from that report and are not individually fact-checked — confirm names, dates and figures with the source before you rely on them.
Revision structure
Monthly events and exam calendar context
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Quiz and mock-test revision path
Key points
Exam-ready takeaways
The law brings expressive conduct within penal scope, reigniting debate on criminalising religious offence in a secular state
Constitutional issues involve Article 19(1)(a) freedom of speech and Article 19(2) reasonable restrictions
Highlights tension between state legislative power and secularism principles under the Constitution
Relevant for UPSC/State PSC polity sections on Centre-State relations, fundamental rights, and secularism jurisprudence
How to study
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