Which of the following statements is/are correct regarding the legal status of Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs) upon religious conversion in India?
1. According to the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950, a person who converts to Christianity or Islam completely loses their Scheduled Caste status.
2. Similar to Scheduled Castes, individuals belonging to Scheduled Tribes (STs) immediately lose their ST status upon converting to a religion outside of Hinduism, Sikhism, or Buddhism.

Question

Accepted Answer

A) 1 only — Statement 1 is correct, as reaffirmed by the Supreme Court in the 2026 Chinthada Anand judgment based on Clause 3 of the 1950 Order. Statement 2 is incorrect; ST status is determined by ethnic traits, tribal characteristics, and geographical isolation, not religion. Therefore, religious conversion does not legally extinguish Scheduled Tribe status.

SC Rules Conversion to Christianity/Islam Ends SC Status

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