SC declares religious conversion for reservation benefits unconstitutional

In a significant verdict, the Supreme Court has said religious conversions undertaken solely to avail reservation benefits without genuine belief amounted to a “fraud on the Constitution”.

Justices Pankaj Mithal and R Mahadevan passed the verdict on November 26 in a case filed by one C Selvarani and upheld a Madras High Court decision of January



24 denying a scheduled caste certificate to a woman who converted to Christianity but later claimed to be a Hindu to secure employment benefits.

Justice Mahadevan, who wrote the 21-page verdict for the bench, further underscored that one converted to a different religion when they were genuinely inspired by its principles, tenets and spiritual thoughts.