India's Supreme Court rules only Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists qualify for Scheduled Caste status
Reservation admins must delist converts to non‑Hindu/Buddhist/Sikh faiths from Scheduled Caste rolls
Change
India's Supreme Court bound converts to religions other than Hinduism, Buddhism, or Sikhism to immediate and complete loss of Scheduled Caste status from the moment of conversion under Clause 3 of the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950.
Why it matters
Complainants or accused who have converted to religions other than Hinduism, Buddhism, or Sikhism cannot claim Scheduled Caste standing for the purposes of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act (SC/ST Act). Government registers and quota systems must treat such conversions as automatic disqualifiers for Scheduled Caste status and remove those individuals from reservation and beneficiary lists.
Implications
- — Public prosecutors and lower‑court judicial officers must decline to initiate or continue prosecutions under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act when the complainant or defendant has converted to a religion other than Hinduism, Buddhism, or Sikhism — failing to do so risks dismissal or quashing of the proceeding.
- — Reservation and welfare administrators in government departments must remove individuals who have converted to non‑Hindu/Buddhist/Sikh faiths from Scheduled Caste beneficiary and quota lists immediately — continued disbursement or quota allocation exposes the agency to legal challenge and reversal.
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Source
View on The Hindu