Supreme Court Reaffirms Secularism Fundamental to Constitution

Speaking verbally at a hearing on a number of petitions contesting the 42nd Amendment's addition of the terms "socialist" and "secular" in the Preamble of the Constitution, the Supreme Court stated that secularism has always been seen as a fundamental component of the document. The case was being heard by a bench that included Justice Sanjiv Khanna, the next Chief Justice of India, and Justice Sanjay Kumar.