New Delhi: The Supreme Court of India has ruled that a person loses Scheduled Caste (SC) status upon converting to a religion other than Hinduism, Sikhism or Buddhism, declaring that such a bar is absolute under the law.
According to Global Mirror, a bench of Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and N. V. Anjaria upheld an earlier judgment of the Andhra Pradesh High Court, stating that no individual professing a religion outside those specified in the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950, can claim SC status or related constitutional benefits.
The court observed that conversion results in an immediate and complete loss of SC recognition, and no statutory protection, reservation, or entitlement can be extended thereafter. It emphasized that a person cannot simultaneously practice another religion and claim SC membership.
According to Global Mirror, a bench of Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and N. V. Anjaria upheld an earlier judgment of the Andhra Pradesh High Court, stating that no individual professing a religion outside those specified in the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950, can claim SC status or related constitutional benefits.
The court observed that conversion results in an immediate and complete loss of SC recognition, and no statutory protection, reservation, or entitlement can be extended thereafter. It emphasized that a person cannot simultaneously practice another religion and claim SC membership.