Says individuals who convert to any other religion, including Christianity, are not entitled to the benefits reserved for SCs
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday (March 24, 2026) upheld a ruling of the Andhra Pradesh High Court stating that only Hindus, Sikhs, and Buddhists are eligible to be recognised as members of Scheduled Caste communities.
It clarified that individuals who convert to any other religion, including Christianity, are not entitled to the benefits reserved for Scheduled Caste members.
A Bench led by Justice P.K. Mishra referred to Clause 3 of the Constitution (Scheduled Caste) Order, 1950, which provides that anyone professing a religion other than Hinduism cannot be considered part of a Scheduled Caste. The court emphasised that this restriction is absolute.
According to the judgment, if a Scheduled Caste individual converts to a religion not listed in Clause 3, they lose their reserved category status. Consequently, a person who has converted to Christianity cannot claim protection under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
The court further stated that no constitutional, statutory, or legislative benefits linked to Scheduled Caste status can be granted to someone excluded under Clause 3. It stressed that a person cannot follow a different religion while simultaneously claiming Scheduled Caste membership.
This ruling arose from a case involving a man who had converted to Christianity and was working as a pastor, but had filed a complaint under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act alleging assault.
