Scheduled Caste status restricted to certain religions, rules Supreme Court
The Supreme Court recently ruled on March 24, 2026, that Scheduled Caste (SC) status is restricted to individuals professing Hinduism, Sikhism, or Buddhism, as per Clause 3 of the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950. Conversion to any other religion, such as Christianity, results in the immediate and absolute loss of SC status, barring claims under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
This verdict arose from an appeal involving a Christian pastor from the Madiga caste (originally SC under Hinduism) who alleged caste-based assault and filed under the SC/ST Act. The Court upheld the Andhra Pradesh High Court’s dismissal, emphasizing that active profession of another faith disqualifies SC membership regardless of birth.
The 1950 Order explicitly states: “No person who professes a religion different from the Hindu, the Sikh or the Buddhist religion shall be deemed to be a member of a Scheduled Caste.” The bench, comprising Justices P.K. Mishra and Manmohan, called this bar “absolute and admits no exception,” rejecting simultaneous claims of SC benefits with other religious practice.
