Supreme Court Upholds Rule: SC Status Lost on Conversion Outside Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism

The Supreme Court has dismissed a petition seeking review of its March 24 verdict, which ruled that a person from a Scheduled Caste community loses that status upon converting to a religion other than Hinduism, Sikhism, or Buddhism. The dismissal was delivered on July 15 by a Bench of Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and Manmohan.

In its brief order, the Court stated: “We have gone through the review petition and perused the judgment dated March 24, 2026, which has been sought to be reviewed. There is no error apparent on the record. The Review Petition is, accordingly, dismissed.” The Court also rejected the request for an oral hearing.

The March 24 judgment held that conversion to any religion not specified in Clause 3 of the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950 results in “immediate and complete loss of Scheduled Caste status from the moment of conversion regardless of birth.” This Order, issued under Article 342 of the Constitution, originally restricted Scheduled Caste status to Hindus. It was amended in 1956 to include Sikhs, and in 1990 to include Buddhists. Christianity has not been added.

The Court noted that Christianity, by its theological foundation, does not recognise the institution of caste. Therefore, a person converting to Christianity ceases to belong to the Scheduled Caste community, losing eligibility for statutory benefits, reservations, and protections that flow from such membership.

The judgment also addressed Scheduled Tribes, stating that if a person converts and abandons tribal customs over time, the question of tribal identity becomes a factual matter to be determined at trial. However, for Scheduled Castes, the bar under Clause 3 is “categorical and absolute.”

The case originated from an Andhra Pradesh High Court order, which the Supreme Court upheld, that a person converting to Christianity loses Scheduled Caste status “immediately and completely.”