New Delhi, Oct. 15 -- The Supreme Court on Thursday, October 15, ruled that a person who converts from Hinduism to Islam cannot claim reservation by citing the backward caste he belonged to before conversion, upholding a Madras High Court verdict that struck down a Tamil Nadu government order.

A bench of Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and Shree Chandrashekhar dismissed the state's appeal against the High Court's judgment delivered in June.

The government order (GO), issued on March 9, 2024, allowed people from Backward Classes, Most Backward Classes (MBC), Denotified Communities and Scheduled Castes (SC) who embraced Islam to be treated as Backward Class Muslims. This let them get community certificates under one of seven Muslim groups ...