The Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld a ruling of the Andhra Pradesh High Court making it clear that a person who converts to Christianity and actively practices it cannot continue to claim Scheduled Caste (SC) status. 

The Court underlined that the Scheduled Caste identity is restricted to those professing Hinduism, Sikhism or Buddhism as per the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order of 1950. The bench observed that the 1950 Order leaves no room for ambiguity. It stated that conversion to any religion not covered under Clause 3 results in the immediate and complete loss of Scheduled Caste status, irrespective of an individual’s birth. The judges stressed that this restriction is absolute and non-negotiable.

A bench of Justices PK Mishra and NV Anjaria held that once a person converts to a religion beyond these three, they cease to be eligible for Scheduled Caste status.

The top court upheld an earlier ruling by the Andhra Pradesh High Court, which had concluded that those who convert to Christianity and continue to practise it cannot claim the benefits reserved for Scheduled Castes.