TN Reservation Row: SC Says Conversion To Islam Doesn't Guarantee Quota Benefits

The Supreme Court has upheld the Madras High Court’s ruling that converting from Hinduism to Islam does not automatically entitle a person to Backward Class Muslim status or reservation benefits. The case concerns Sameer Ahamed, who converted to Islam in 2015 and sought reservation benefits in Tamil Nadu. The court’s ruling highlights that eligibility depends on applicable rules and that social backwardness cannot automatically be presumed to continue in the same form after conversion. Former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has urged the TVK government to file a review petition, arguing that social backwardness does not disappear overnight and raising concerns over social justice.