The Supreme Court has reaffirmed that insincere religious conversions aimed solely at accessing caste-based reservation benefits are impermissible and amount to constitutional fraud. This verdict came as the Court upheld a Madras High Court decision denying Scheduled Caste (SC) status to a woman born Christian but claiming Hindu identity to secure a government job in Puducherry.
The bench emphasized that such actions undermine the foundational purpose of reservation policies, which aim to uplift marginalized communities genuinely belonging to the SC category.
In this case, the appellant was born to a Christian mother and a Hindu father who had converted to Christianity. Baptized shortly after birth, she professed Christianity while seeking SC status under Hinduism to gain employment benefits. Her claim of reconversion and caste reacceptance lacked sufficient evidence, the Court noted.
The Court declared that reconversion to Hinduism must be demonstrable with public declarations, ceremonies, or tangible acceptance by the original caste community. Mere assertions of following Hindu practices or ancestral caste lineage are inadequate.
“Religious conversion is a profound spiritual decision, not a transactional one,” the bench observed. “When individuals exploit this deeply personal act for reservation benefits without genuine belief, it erodes the very fabric of the policy designed to redress historical injustices.”
The appeal was dismissed, with the Court stressing the necessity for integrity in safeguarding the objectives of reservation.
