The Supreme Court has ruled that a person belonging to a Scheduled Caste loses SC status upon converting to a religion other than Hinduism, Sikhism or Buddhism, regardless of birth. The decision clarifies that constitutional benefits are linked to continued adherence to the recognised religious framework.
Regarding Scheduled Tribes, recognition flows from the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order, 1950 issued under Article 342. The Court held that ST benefits depend on continued tribal identity; if conversion or abandonment of customs weakens this identity, eligibility becomes a matter of factual determination.
APSC Relevance: Important for constitutional provisions, reservation policies and judicial interpretation of identity.
Course Purchase Query 