UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — SC status ‘only for Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs’

Q1. The Commission of Inquiry headed by Justice K.G. Balakrishnan, examining the question of granting Scheduled Caste status to Dalit converts to Christianity and Islam, was constituted and given tenure extensions by which Union ministry?

  • A. Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment
  • B. Ministry of Minority Affairs
  • C. Ministry of Home Affairs
  • D. Ministry of Tribal Affairs

Q2. The Commission of Inquiry set up to examine whether Scheduled Caste status should be extended to Dalit converts to Christianity and Islam, whose tenure was extended to October 2025, is chaired by which former Chief Justice of India?

  • A. Justice K.G. Balakrishnan
  • B. Justice Ranganath Misra
  • C. Justice Rajendra Mal Lodha
  • D. Justice P. Sathasivam

Q3. In its 2026 judgment in Chinthada Anand v. State of Andhra Pradesh, how did the Supreme Court define the effect of a Scheduled Caste person's voluntary conversion to Christianity or Islam on his SC status?

  • A. It results in immediate and complete loss of Scheduled Caste status from the moment of conversion
  • B. It merely suspends Scheduled Caste status, which automatically revives on the convert's death or retirement
  • C. It has no effect, since SC status is determined solely by birth and is permanently retained irrespective of religion
  • D. It causes loss of status only after a statutory waiting period of three years from the date of conversion