What is article 25 of the Indian Constitution?

Asked by: Connor McDermott  |  Last update: June 17, 2026
Score: 4.6/5 (57 votes)

Article 25 of the Indian Constitution guarantees all persons the freedom of conscience and the right to freely profess, practice, and propagate religion, subject to public order, morality, and health, allowing the State to regulate secular activities associated with religion for social welfare and reform, including opening Hindu religious institutions to all sections. It's a key part of India's secular fabric, ensuring individual religious liberty while balancing public interest.

What does Article 25 of the Indian Constitution say?

Article 25, Constitution of India 1950

(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 propagate religion.

Who can invoke the 25th Amendment?

It allows the vice president, together with a "majority of either the principal officers of the executive departments or of such other body as Congress may by law provide", to issue a written declaration that the president is unable to discharge his duties.

What does Article 25 of the Constitution say?

The amendment makes it clear the vice president becomes president “in case of the removal of the President from office or of his death or resignation.” It also allows the president and Congress to nominate and approve a new vice president when that office becomes vacant.

What does Article 25 of the Constitution deal with?

1.2 1.3 Article 25 of the Constitution provides for equality before Law and entitlement of equal protection of Law. This Article has been subject to judicial scrutiny and the Supreme Court of Pakistan has upheld that state is not prohibited to treat its citizen on the basis of reasonable classification (I.A.

Article 25-28 - Freedom of Religion - Constitution of India

30 related questions found

Who can declare a president incompetent?

Under the 25th Amendment, the Vice President and a majority of the Cabinet (or another body Congress designates) can declare a President incompetent and transfer power to the VP; if the President contests, Congress decides with a two-thirds vote in both chambers needed to keep the VP as acting president, a rarely used Section 4 process that has never been fully invoked. 

Why is Article 25 important?

Article 25

Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and assistance. All children, whether born in or out of wedlock, shall enjoy the same social protection.

Has article 25 ever been used?

Presidents have used Section 3 of the 25th Amendment four times. Each time, they have given power to their Vice Presidents for a short time because they needed to get anesthesia for medical tests or surgery. The four Acting Presidents in United States history are listed below.

Who can remove a president from office?

The Constitution gives Congress the power to impeach federal officials. An official can be impeached for treason, bribery, and “other high crimes and misdemeanors.” The House of Representatives brings articles (charges) of impeachment against an official.

What is the purpose of Section 25?

Purpose. The purpose of section 25 is to ensure that the designated rights and freedoms of Indigenous peoples are protected where giving effect to conflicting individual Charter rights and freedoms would diminish Indigenous difference (Dickson, supra, at paragraph 117).

Who becomes president if the 25th Amendment passed?

In case of the removal of the President from office or of his death or resignation, the Vice President shall become President.

What does it take to convict a president?

The Constitution requires a two-thirds vote of the Senate to convict, and the penalty for an impeached official upon conviction is removal from office. In some cases, the Senate has also disqualified such officials from holding public offices in the future. There is no appeal.

What are criticisms of Art. 25?

The impossibility of weighing interests and harms, critics say, makes the defence unworkable in international law,100 leaving it open to the utmost subjectivism by States which are wont to consider their interest as more essential than others' interests.

What religion are most Indians?

According to the 2011 census, 79.8% of the population of India follows Hinduism, 14.2% Islam, 2.3% Christianity, 1.7% Sikhism, 0.7% Buddhism and 0.4% Jainism. Zoroastrianism, Sanamahism and Judaism also have an ancient history in India, and each has several thousands of Indian adherents.

What rights are protected under Art. 25?

Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of ...

Who can declare the President disabled?

Presidential inability or disability is specifically covered in Section 3, whereby the President may declare a disability, and Section 4, whereby a presidential disability is declared by the Vice President and a majority of the Cabinet or such other body as may be established by law.

Can the President fire the vice president?

The Constitution of the United States gives Congress the authority to remove the vice president of the United States from office in two separate proceedings.

How to remove a corrupt president?

A conviction on any one of the articles of impeachment requires the support of a two-thirds majority of the Senators present and results in that individual's removal from office. The Senate also has discretion to vote to disqualify that official from holding a federal office in the future.

Who can overthrow the president?

The Constitution gives Congress the authority to impeach and remove "The President, Vice President, and all civil Officers of the United States" upon a determination that such officers have engaged in treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors.

Which president did not use the Bible to take the oath of office?

Several U.S. Presidents did not use a Bible for their oath, including John Quincy Adams (used a law book), Theodore Roosevelt (used no book at his first swearing-in), and Lyndon B. Johnson (used a Catholic missal), with Calvin Coolidge also noting he didn't use one, adhering to Vermont tradition. The Constitution doesn't require a Bible, allowing for these variations, often signifying a belief in secularism or responding to unique circumstances. 

Can the president be declared incompetent?

Yes, a U.S. President can be declared unable to perform their duties, primarily through Section 4 of the 25th Amendment, which allows the Vice President and a majority of the Cabinet to temporarily remove presidential power if the President is incapacitated and won't step aside, with Congress ultimately deciding if the inability persists. This mechanism provides a constitutional pathway for addressing presidential incompetence or disability, though its involuntary aspect (Section 4) has never been formally invoked. 

Can Congress overrule the president?

Yes, Congress can override a presidential veto with a two-thirds vote in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, allowing a bill to become law without the President's signature, though pocket vetoes (when Congress adjourns and the President doesn't sign within 10 days) cannot be overridden. 

Who can invoke article 25 of the constitution?

Section 4 of the 25th Amendment—perhaps the most complex part of the amendment, which has never been invoked—allows for the vice president and a majority of cabinet secretaries (or another body as Congress may provide) to declare the president unable to discharge the powers and duties of the office.

What does Article 25 of the Constitution prohibit?

This means that while individuals have the right to practice their religion, it should not disrupt the harmony of society or infringe upon the well-being of others. Article 25 distinguishes between religious practices and secular activities associated with religious institutions.