New Delhi: The Supreme Court of India on Tuesday ruled that a person who converts to a religion other than Hinduism, Sikhism or Buddhism cannot be recognised as a member of a Scheduled Caste, stating that such a conversion results in an immediate and complete loss of SC status.
A bench comprising Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and N. V. Anjaria upheld an earlier decision of the Andhra Pradesh High Court, reiterating that the constitutional bar on extending Scheduled Caste benefits to individuals professing other religions is absolute.
The court observed that no statutory benefit, protection, reservation or entitlement available to Scheduled Castes under the Constitution or any law can be extended to individuals who fall outside the scope of Clause 3 of the Constitution (Scheduled Caste) Order, 1950.
“This bar is absolute and admits no exception,” the bench said, adding that a person cannot simultaneously practice another religion and claim Scheduled Caste status.
The Andhra Pradesh High Court, in its April 30, 2025 order, had held that an individual who converts to Christianity and continues to practice the faith cannot be treated as a member of a Scheduled Caste community. It also noted that the caste system is not recognised within Christianity, thereby barring such individuals from invoking protections under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
The case before the apex court was filed by Chinthada Anand, a pastor, who had challenged the high court’s decision after it quashed criminal proceedings he initiated under the SC/ST Act. Anand had alleged assault and caste-based abuse during a 2021 incident.
The Supreme Court, however, noted that the petitioner had been practicing Christianity for over a decade and was actively conducting religious services at the time of the incident. It observed that there was no evidence of reconversion or reacceptance into his original caste community.
“These facts leave no room for doubt that he continued to remain a Christian on the date of the occurrence,” the bench held while dismissing the plea.
