Overview
- India’s Supreme Court, in a judgment on Tuesday, upheld an Andhra Pradesh High Court order and held that converting to a faith other than Hinduism, Sikhism or Buddhism ends SC status and blocks use of the SC/ST Atrocities Act.
- The court said the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950 makes this bar absolute and leaves no exceptions. It added that holding a caste certificate does not preserve eligibility after conversion and that cancellation is a separate administrative step.
- In the case before the court, the complainant had practiced Christianity for over a decade and was leading a prayer meeting during the alleged assault, so he could not claim protections reserved for Scheduled Castes.
- The bench outlined how SC status can be restored after reconversion, requiring proof of original SC belonging, credible evidence of a bona fide return to the religion, and acceptance by the original caste community.
- The judgment distinguished Scheduled Tribes, where religion is not the key test, and it is expected to spur fresh litigation, reviews of community certificates, and policy debate already underway in a 2004 case and a central commission study.