The Supreme Court has ruled that only individuals belonging to Hindu, Sikh, or Buddhist faiths are eligible to claim Scheduled Caste status. The Court clarified that conversion to any other religion, such as Christianity, results in the immediate and complete loss of Scheduled Caste status.

 

Upholding an order of the Andhra Pradesh High Court, the Supreme Court held that once a person converts to Christianity and actively professes and practices that faith, they can no longer be regarded as a member of a Scheduled Caste.

 

A bench comprising Justices P. K. Mishra and Manmohan further ruled that a Dalit individual who converts to Christianity cannot claim protection under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

The Court emphasised that this position is clearly established under the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950. According to the Court, the restriction under Clause 3 of the 1950 Order is absolute, that any person who professes a religion other than Hinduism, Sikhism, or Buddhism ceases to qualify as a member of a Scheduled Caste, irrespective of their birth.