NEW DELHI, March 24: The Supreme Court has ruled that any person professing a religion other than Hinduism, Sikhism, or Buddhism is ineligible for Scheduled Caste status. Upholding a 2025 order from the Andhra Pradesh High Court, the apex court stated that the transition to a faith like Christianity results in an absolute loss of SC entitlements. The Bench declared that statutory protections and legislative reservations are strictly limited to those recognized under the specific operational clauses of the Constitution.
The case involved an appeal by a pastor who alleged he was assaulted and abused based on his caste in 2021. However, the court affirmed that the complainant’s long-standing role as a religious leader proved he continued to profess Christianity at the time of the occurrence. The Justices noted that the appellant was performing pastoral duties when the incident took place, leaving no doubt regarding his religious affiliation.
The Andhra Pradesh High Court had previously maintained that because the caste system is not a part of Christian doctrine, converts are barred from invoking the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The Supreme Court asserted that the Constitution (Scheduled Caste) Order, 1950, makes this distinction clear. It stated that unless a person re-converts or is formally accepted back into their original community, the change in status is permanent.
The Bench asserted that there are no exceptions to this rule, maintaining that individuals cannot claim the benefits of a Scheduled Caste while practicing a faith not listed in the 1950 order. This decision reinforces the legal boundary between religious practice and the eligibility for caste-based constitutional provisions in India.
