Can a person lose Scheduled Caste (SC) status after converting to another religion? And can it be regained after reconversion? Here’s a simple explainer of the 1950 Presidential Order and recent Supreme Court views.
The issue of conversion and caste identity has long been debated in Indian constitutional law. Under the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950, SC status is not just based on birth but also on the religion a person professes. When Does SC Status Cease?As per Clause 3 of the 1950 Order, only individuals professing:
Buddhismare eligible for Scheduled Caste status.
This means that if a person converts to religions like Christianity or Islam, their SC status automatically ceases, regardless of their birth or continued social discrimination.
The rationale behind this rule is that caste-based disabilities were historically linked to specific religious social structures.
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