The Supreme Court has ruled that individuals who convert from Hinduism to Islam are not entitled to reservation benefits, upholding a Madras High Court judgment and dismissing an appeal by the Tamil Nadu government.
A bench comprising Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra and Justice Chandrachud clarified that the social backwardness defined within the Hindu social structure cannot be carried over into a non-Hindu framework. The ruling quashes a previous Tamil Nadu government notification providing reservation benefits to those who converted to Islam.
The Court emphasized that a change in religion alters a person's social context, meaning individuals cannot claim backward class or Scheduled Caste reservation privileges solely based on their previous religious status.