#Scheduled Castes

Allahabad High Court reaffirms that under Article 341 of the Constitution, only Parliament holds the power to amend the Scheduled Castes list. The court dismissed a petition seeking inclusion of castes like Nishad, Kewat, Mallah, and Bind, ruling that judicial authorities cannot treat unlisted castes as synonyms of listed ones, reinforcing the exclusive legislative authority in reservation matters.

Madhya Pradesh High Court rules that an accused belonging to a Scheduled Caste cannot be prima facie charged under the SC & ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, granting anticipatory bail despite the statutory bar. The decision hinges on the absence of a caste-based power dynamic, setting a precedent for bail jurisprudence under the Act.

The Karnataka High Court has ruled that land allotted under the Grow More Food Scheme cannot be treated as 'granted land' under the Karnataka Public Trusts and Charitable Endowments (PTCL) Act, rendering resumption orders invalid. This decision protects thousands of small landholders from unlawful eviction and forces state agencies to correctly classify land tenure before invoking resumption powers.

The Himachal Pradesh High Court ruled that a ward rotated out of SC (Women) reservation under Rule 10(6) of the HP Municipal Election Rules must be allotted to the Women General Category, as the 'General Category' includes women. The court clarified that electing a woman from an open seat does not amount to re-reservation, ensuring compliance with rotational reservation mandates for local self-government.

The Supreme Court ruled that conversion to Christianity terminates Scheduled Caste status under the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950, thereby stripping protections under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. The judgment impacts statutory benefits and legal remedies for converts from Scheduled Castes, reinforcing the linkage between caste identity and religious affiliation under Indian law.

Chhattisgarh High Court holds that denying Scheduled Caste individuals access to government-built community halls violates fundamental rights and mandates prompt administrative redressal.