TaxTMI 
TaxTMI 
2023 (1) TMI 213
X X X X Extracts X X X X
X X X X Extracts X X X X
....anted the benefit of registration u/s 12A of the I.T.Act to the assessee as a religious trust (instead of charitable trust). 2. Since common issues are involved in the appeals, they were heard together and are being disposed of by this consolidated order. 3. The brief facts of the case are as follows: The assessee is a trust formed on 05.06.2020. Certain clauses of the trust deeds were amended in order to confirm to the requirements of the Income-tax Act, vide amendment deed dated 29.08.2022. The trust was formed by renowed Vedic Scholars with the main objective of teaching, imparting, spreading and encouraging the knowledge of Vedic Education in all possible manner. The assessee-trust filed an application for registration u/s 12A and for approval u/s 80G of the I.T.Act. The approval u/s 80G of the I.T.Act was rejected by the CIT(E) by holding that the assessee was primarily a religious trust. For identical reason, the CIT(E) granted registration u/s 12A of the I.T.Act confining the assessee as a religious trust. 4. Aggrieved by the orders of the CIT(E), the assessee has filed these appeals before the Tribunal. The assessee has filed two sets of paper book, one enclosin....
X X X X Extracts X X X X
X X X X Extracts X X X X
.... of race, religion, caste, community, creed or gender (refer para 2.1 of the trust deed). The objects of the trust are at para 5 of the trust deed. They read as follows:- The objects of the Trust shall include the following: (a) To protect, preserve, teach, impart and spread the knowledge of VEDAS; (b) To spread vedic education, vedic chanting and its knowledge. to encourage and teach the tradition of Vedic Chanting in India which has been declared and notified by the UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) in the Intangible Cultural Heritage List (Proclaimed in 2003 and Inscribed in 2008); (c) To protect, preserve, teach, spread and encourage the knowledge of Indian heritage and culture contained in various Dharma Granthas, Dharma Shastras, Sutras, Shruti, Smruti, Puranas etc.; (d) To teach, impart and encourage YOGA; (e) To teach, impart and encourage the learning of Sanskrit; (f) To support the Schools or Institutions having Indian Heritage Education; (g) To encourage students of studies having Indian Heritage Value; (h) To financially support the deserving students....
X X X X Extracts X X X X
X X X X Extracts X X X X
....heritage of humanity. Despite being oldest, the Vedas have been preserved in their true form up till now. Even Max Muller, a renowned European scholar, has admitted that, the text of the Vedas has been handed down to us with such accuracy and care that there is hardly any change in the words, or there is any uncertain aspect in the whole of Vedas. The credit for this goes to Vedic seers (Rishis) who devised means of protecting and preserving the text of Vedas letter by letter, with all their accessories. Vedic mantras have accents (Swara) which preserve its original form of word- construction. 8. After the formation of the Trust, the assessee conducted various workshop to disseminate the knowledge of Vedas. General public irrespective of caste, creed, gender or "religion were invited to witness the said events and to know the significance and importance of Vedas. The Vedic Scholars were identified and felicitated irrespective of their caste, creed or religion. The assessee-trust has given financial assistance to various people, irrespective of caste, creed or religion, involved in Indian Heritage Education. Trust conducts teaching of Vedas by various scholars to students, workin....
X X X X Extracts X X X X
X X X X Extracts X X X X
....ssessee is engaged in a religious activity of teaching Vedas, a Hindu religious scripture, to Hindu students and hence the whole purpose of the trust is of religious nature as per Explanation 3 to section 80G. It is therefore concluded that the assessee Trust is not eligible for approval under section 80G. In coming to the above conclusion, the learned CIT(E) has relied on certain judicial pronouncement, which we shall deal later. 11. It is settled principle that Hinduism is a way of life and not a religion. The Hon'ble Madras High Court in TT Kuppuswamy Chettiar and others v State of Tamil Nadu (1987) 100 LW 1031 held as under:- "The word 'Hindu' itself has not been defined in any of the texts, nor in any of the judge made laws. The definition of a 'Hindu' is also not available in the ancient texts. Even the renowned author of the Hindu Law, viz., Mulla has not defined the word 'Hindu'. According to the Concise Oxford Dictionary, 'Hindu' means adherent of Hinduism; whereas the Chambers Dictionary defines 'Hindu' as a member of any of the races of Hindustan or India, a believer in a form of Brahmanism. A perusal of the history shows that the name 'Hindu' was given by th....
X X X X Extracts X X X X
X X X X Extracts X X X X
....Thus, it cannot be doubted, particularly in view of the Constitution Bench decisions of this Court that the words `Hinduism' or `Hindutva' are not necessarily to be understood and construed narrowly, confined only to the strict Hindu religious practices unrelated to the culture and ethos of the people of India, depicting the way of life of the Indian people. Unless the context of a speech indicates a contrary meaning or use, in the abstract these terms are indicative more of a way of life of the Indian people and are not confined merely to describe persons practising the Hindu religion as a faith. Considering the terms `Hinduism' or `Hindutva' per se as depicting hostility, enmity or intolerance towards other religious faiths or professing communalism, proceeds form an improper appreciation and perception of the true meaning of these expressions emerging from the detailed discussion in earlier authorities of this Court." 13. The Hon'ble Allahabad High Court in CIT v Sri Radha Raman Niwas Trust [2014] 42 taxmann.com 77 affirmed the findings of the Tribunal, which held that to carry sewa puja of Sri Giridhari Ji and carry Akhand Naam Sankirtan uninterruptedly in Aa....
X X X X Extracts X X X X
X X X X Extracts X X X X
....ers of food and dress. No material or evidence has been brought on record by the department which may prove that any person coming, worshipping and maintaining the temple has to follow a particular code of ethical rules and has to carry out the prescribed rituals and observances, ceremonies and modes of worship. The entry is not restricted to a particular group of persons. Any body whether want to worship or not and want to maintain or not can come to the temple and avail of all the facilities available to the public at large. Therefore, these objects cannot be regarded to be the religious objects. In our opinion, until and unless the activities for which the trust is established, involve the activity religious purpose, it cannot be said that the assessee has not complied with the condition No. (iii) enumerated u/s. 80G(5) of the Act. 12. Even we noted that all the building maintenance expenses, free food expenses and festival, prayer and daily expenses cannot be regarded to be the one incurred for religious object, even if the object is regarded to be religious one. It is not denied that in the building the assessee was carrying yoga centre, tailoring training centre as w....
X X X X Extracts X X X X
X X X X Extracts X X X X
....ciety of people living in the same place, under the same laws and regulations and who have common rights and privileges. This may apply to Christianity or moslem but not to Hinduism. Therefore, it cannot be said that Hindu is a separate community or a separate religion. Technically Hindu is neither a religion nor a community. Therefore, expenses incurred for worshipping of Lord Shiva, Hanuman, Goddess Durga and for maintenance of temple cannot be regarded to be for religious purpose. Under these facts and circumstances, we are of the view that the CIT is not correct in law in not allowing the approval to the assessee trust u/s. 80G of the Act. We accordingly, set aside the order of the CIT and direct the CIT to grant approval to the assessee-trust u/s. 80G(5)(vi) of the Act." 15. The ITAT Bangalore bench in M/s Sri Channamallikarjuna Trust Committee Gangavathi v CIT (E) - ITA No 1829/Bang/2018 (order dated 4.5.2022) explained the difference between charitable purpose and religious purpose and held as under:- "13. In sections 11, 12 & 13, a distinction has been drawn between 'charitable purpose' and 'religious purposes', but there is no definition of the ....
X X X X Extracts X X X X
X X X X Extracts X X X X
....essee and direct that the registration be allowed treating the Assessee as existing for "Charitable purpose". 16. In Vaidik Bhakti Sadan Asram v CIT [2010] 5 ITR (Trib) 590 (Delhi), the Tribunal held that propagation of vedic thoughts and philosophy cannot be attributed to any religion as the same are more concerned with the lifestyle of the human beings. The relevant observations are as under:- "9. A perusal of the impugned order of the learned Commissioner of Income-tax shows that the renewal of registration under section 80G was denied by him to the assessee-trust mainly on three grounds which have already been enumerated by us while narrating the facts of the case in the foregoing portion of this order. At the time, of hearing before us, learned counsel for the assessee has made elaborate submissions to meet all these objections raised by the learned Commissioner of Income-tax while denying exemption to the assessee under section 80G. As rightly pointed out by him, the objects and activities of the assessee-trust relating to propagation of vedic thoughts and philosophy cannot be attributed to any religion as the same are more concerned with the lifestyle of the huma....
X X X X Extracts X X X X
X X X X Extracts X X X X
....iled by the assessee. The assessee Trust does not have any object 'to establish, maintain and to grant and / or aid to public places of worship and prayer halls' and hence the judgment of the Hon'ble Apex Court in the case of Upper Ganges Sugar Mills Ltd. v. CIT (supra) is inapplicable to the facts of the present case. The impugned conclusion of the learned CIT(E) that teaching of Vedas involve offering worship and prayer to God is not correct and bereft of any reason. The assessee only teaches the students how to recite the Vedas. There is a particular method of pronunciation of Vedas with Swaras attached to it. The recitation and pronunciation of Vedas is what is taught by the assessee-Trust. It is like teaching any other Sanskrit literature. The teaching of Vedas does not involve offering worship and prayer to God as held by the CIT(E). There is no object or activity of worship or prayer to God as contended by the CIT(E). The CIT(E) is also not an authority to conclude what teaching of Vedas involve. Hence, the decision of the Supreme Court in Upper Ganges Sugar Mills Ltd v CIT (supra) is not applicable to the facts of the present case. 20. The ITAT Jaipur in Shiv Ratan Rathi....
X X X X Extracts X X X X
X X X X Extracts X X X X
....d CIT(A) in the present case. In Sri Marudhar Kesari Sthanakwasi Jain Yadgar Samiti Trust's case (supra) also relied upon by the learned Counsel for the revenue, the facts of the case were distinguishable in the said case. Thus, the judgments cited and relied upon by the learned Counsel for the revenue are distinguishable on facts and do not support the case of the respondents. Since the law in the case of Upper Ganges Sugar Mills (supra) was laid down while dealing the case of deduction under section 80G of the Act in the hands of donor so also in the case of Sri Marudhar Kesari Sthanakwasi Jain Yadgar Samiti Trust (supra) by this Court, those judgments do not advance cause of the revenue. On the other hand, the case laws relied upon by the learned counsel for the petitioner fully support the case of the petitioner when the Courts have consistently held that it is the dominant object of the trust which is important and contribution and expenditure incurred by the petitioner-trust has to be viewed in light of the objects with which charitable trust in question was constituted." 22. In the above judgment, it was held by the Hon'ble Rajasthan High Court that approval under sec....
X X X X Extracts X X X X
X X X X Extracts X X X X
.... are religious scriptures and Vedic Study is a study of Hindu religion or religious instruction. The said decision is distinguishable in view of various decisions as discussed hereinabove which holds that Hinduism itself is not a religion or community. The constitution bench decisions of the Supreme Court were not brought on record in the above decision and hence it is distinguishable. Without prejudice, the Tribunal in the above decision noted that universal appeal of Vedas and allowed registration in the status of charitable and religious Trust by holding as under:- "Vedas: Universal appeal 4.6 Vedanta is the philosophy which analysed and taught man to be moral consciously. It is the essence of all religions. The Hindu scriptures teach that man is attracted to this earth to learn, more completely in each successive life, the infinite ways in which the Spirit may be expressed through, and be dominant over, material conditions. Slowly but surely, man, throughout the world, including India, across different religions, nationalities and ideologies, with the entering of the atomic age and the expansion of the world mind, is learning these truths. Wisdom garn....