Story perspectives

Supreme Court Bars Muslims From Scheduled-Caste Reservations

By Drooid · Oct 16, 2026, 4:53 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

Supreme Court of India ruled that converts to Islam are ineligible for Scheduled-Caste reservation benefits, upholding High Court order.
Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and Shree Chandrashekhar dismissed Tamil Nadu’s plea.
The judgment restricts Scheduled-Caste status to Hindus, Sikhs and Buddhists only.
BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia called the ruling historic and a blow to Congress.
Bhatia said the decision also harms the Samajwadi Party and Trinamool Congress for past appeasement.

History

Historical Context

The Constitution of India’s 1950 Scheduled Castes Order, shaped by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, limited SC status to Hindus, Sikhs and Buddhists and set aside 15 percent of Lok Sabha seats for SCs. After decades of extensions and the 1992 50 percent cap, the Supreme Court’s 1 August 2024 judgment upheld the religious restriction while permitting states to create sub-quotas within their reservation schemes.

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Story summary

Supreme Court of India ruled that converts to Islam are ineligible for Scheduled-Caste reservation benefits, upholding High Court order.
Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and Shree Chandrashekhar dismissed Tamil Nadu’s plea.
The judgment restricts Scheduled-Caste status to Hindus, Sikhs and Buddhists only.
BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia called the ruling historic and a blow to Congress.
Bhatia said the decision also harms the Samajwadi Party and Trinamool Congress for past appeasement.

1 / 2