Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 08:03am on 24 Mar 2026,Tuesday India
The Supreme Court has ruled that only Hindus, Sikhs and Buddhists can claim Scheduled Caste (SC) status. It said conversion to any other religion leads to loss of SC status and related legal protection. “No person who professes a religion other than Hindu, Sikh or Buddhist shall be a member of the Scheduled Caste,” the court said. SC Status Limited to Hindus, Sikhs and Buddhists, Says Supreme Court; Conversion Ends Eligibility The bench upheld an Andhra Pradesh High Court order in a case involving a pastor who had converted to Christianity. The court noted he continued to follow Christianity and had not returned to his original faith. It said SC status depends on religious identity. (PC: India Today)
