In Chinthada Anand v. State of Andhra Pradesh & Ors., decided on 24 March 2026, the Supreme Court of India held that conversion to Christianity results in the loss of Scheduled Caste (SC) status. The complainant, originally from the Madiga community, had converted to Christianity and worked as a Pastor but claimed protection under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The Court interpreted Clause 3 of the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950, which limits SC recognition to Hindus, Sikhs, and Buddhists. It ruled that this restriction is absolute, and conversion to Christianity extinguishes SC status, regardless of caste certificate possession. The Court further held that the SC/ST Act applies only to legally recognized SC/ST members. Since the complainant had converted, he was not entitled to its protection. The High Court’s decision quashing the complaint was upheld.