Only Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists can claim Scheduled Caste status, says Supreme Court

The Supreme Court has held that a person who professes a religion other than Hinduism, Sikhism or Buddhism cannot be regarded as a member of a Scheduled Caste (SC), ruling that conversion to any other religion will result in loss of right to claim SC status.

“A person can't simultaneously profess and practice a religion other than the one specified in clause 3 and claim membership of the Scheduled caste," the Court said.

A bench of Justices PK Mishra and NV Anjaria upheld an Andhra Pradesh High Court’s ruling that a person who converts to Christianity and follows that faith cannot continue to be recognised as a member of the SC community. The ruling was given on an appeal by a pastor Chinthada Anand, a convert to Christianity, who had challenged a May 2025 judgment of the Andhra Pradesh High Court, alleging that he faced caste-based discrimination and abuse from certain individuals. He had filed a case under the Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act against some persons, who he alleged had subjected him to assault. The accused challenged Anand’s claiming protection under the SC&ST Act, saying the pastor was actively professing Christianity.

In April 30, 2025, the Andhra Pradesh High Court held that the caste system is alien to Christianity,  and barred invoking the provisions of the Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. Justice Harinath N of the High Court had quashed charges filed by Anand, following which the complainant filed a special leave petition. The High Court observed that mere non-cancellation of an SC certificate would not entitle protection under the SC & ST Act,  as conversion nullifies SC status. Anand then approached the Supreme Court.

In its order, the apex court noted that the Constitution (Scheduled Caste) Order, 1950, made it clear that conversion to any religion not specified in its Clause 3 results in immediate loss of Schedule caste status, regardless of birth. "No statutory benefit, protection or reservation or entitlement under the Constitution or enactment of Parliament or state legislature can be claimed by or extended to any person who, by operation of clause 3, is not deemed to be a member of the Scheduled Caste. This bar is absolute and admits no exception,” it said.

"In the present case, it is not the case of the petitioner that he re-converted from Christianity to his original religion or has been accepted back in the folds of the Madika community. It establishes that the appellant continued to profess Christianity and has been functioning as a pastor for more than a decade, conducting regular Sunday prayers at the houses of the village," the bench said.nAt the time of the incident, it noted, that he was conducting prayer meetings at the house.