indian-constitutional-law
What is the significance of the use of &#39;promote&#39; in Article 27 of the Indian Constitution?
<p>The Constitution of India states under Article 25</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Freedom of conscience and free profession, practice and propagation of religion</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Subsequently Article 27 states</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Freedom from payment of taxes for promotion of any religion</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The need for a separate article to cover the specific head of non-applicability of taxes is clear. The use of the word 'promote' instead of 'propagate is unclear - especially since the term 'promote' here can hardly be expected to mean 'improve the standing' vis-a-vis any other religion.</p>
<p>What is the significance of the use of 'promote' in Article 27 of the Indian Constitution?</p>

<p>Those are titles of articles, not enforceable declarations (which are complete sentences).
The actual articles say <a href="https://theindianconstitution.com/article-25-religious-conscience-freedom/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">(art 25)</a></p>
<blockquote>
<p>25(1): Subject to public order, morality and health and to the other
provisions of this Part, all persons are equally entitled to freedom
of conscience and the right freely to profess, practise and
<strong>propagate</strong> religion.</p>
</blockquote>
<p><a href="https://theindianconstitution.com/article-27-tax-freedom-for-religion/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Art. 27</a> says</p>
<blockquote>
<p>No person shall be compelled to pay any taxes, the proceeds of which
are specifically appropriated in payment of expenses for the <strong>promotion</strong>
or maintenance of any particular religion or religious denomination.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Art 25(1) includes 4 religious freedoms, one being</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Right to propagate: Transmission and dissemination of one’s religious
beliefs to others or exposition of the tenets of one’s religion.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>An individual has the right to transmit and disseminate beliefs, and Art. 25 says you can do it. Art. 27 is about government action, and says that the government cannot favor one religion over another, but it can aid all religions equally. These articles could have written differently for example Art. 27 could have been written to say &quot;...expenses <em>in order to favor</em>  any particular religion or religious denomination <em>over others</em>.</p>
