Tamil Nadu News

Supreme Court on Caste Reservation

October 17 , 2026 15 hrs 0 min 27 0

The Supreme Court dismissed the Tamil Nadu government’s appeal on reservation benefits for people converting to Islam from backward communities.
A person from a Hindu Backward Class does not automatically become a member of a notified Backward Muslim community by converting to Islam.
The Court held that Article 16(4) of the Constitution does not automatically extend reservation benefits based on a person’s previous religious and caste identity.
Article 341 empowers the President to notify Scheduled Castes; under the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950, Scheduled Caste status is restricted to those professing Hinduism, Sikhism or Buddhism.
A Jamath conversion certificate alone cannot establish statutory Backward Class membership; the Tamil Nadu government’s March 2024 order was rejected.