May 2, 2025 – Andhra Pradesh High Court has held that individuals belonging to the Scheduled Caste (SC) community lose their SC status upon converting to another religion, such as Christianity. This decision, delivered on April 30, 2025, clarifies that constitutional protections and benefits, including those under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, cease to apply once a person changes their religion.
The court, presided over by Justice Harinath, emphasized that caste-based distinctions, such as those recognized under the SC category, are inherently tied to the Hindu religion as per the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950. The judgment noted that Christianity, for instance, does not recognize caste hierarchies, and thus, a convert cannot claim SC privileges, regardless of possessing a caste certificate.
Case Background
The ruling arose from a case where the petitioner, an SC individual who had converted to Christianity, sought to retain benefits under the SC/ST Act. The court rejected the plea, stating that religious conversion nullifies the individual’s eligibility for SC-specific safeguards. This decision reinforces the legal principle that constitutional reservations and protections are religion-specific, as outlined in the 1950 Order.
