Kathmandu, October 15
India’s Supreme Court has ruled that a person who changes religion cannot claim reservation benefits on the basis of caste identity.
The court made clear that a person belonging to a backward class or a Scheduled Caste in the Hindu social order cannot claim caste reservation benefits based on their earlier social status merely because they have adopted another religion.
The Supreme Court upheld the Madras High Court’s decision in a case related to granting reservation benefits to people who converted to Islam in Tamil Nadu.
The Madras High Court had set aside the Tamil Nadu government’s decision to give reservation to people who converted to Islam.
The Supreme Court dismissed the petition filed on this matter, citing constitutional provisions and the principles governing caste reservation.
According to the court, the state of social backwardness based on caste within the Hindu social order is not automatically transferred after adopting another religion. Therefore, a person who was earlier in a backward class or a Scheduled Caste cannot claim reservation on that basis after changing religion.
The ruling provides an important legal interpretation of the relationship between religious conversion and caste reservation in India.
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