Supreme Court questions upper-caste students converting to Buddhism to seek minority quota in medical admissions

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday came down heavily on upper-caste students who converted to Buddhism at the final stage and applied for postgraduate medical admissions under the minority quota, questioning whether such conversions could be used as a means to secure reserved seats.

The court observed that such attempts appeared to be an indirect method of gaining admission under the minority quota, potentially depriving genuine minority candidates of their rightful opportunities.

A Bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi was hearing a writ petition filed by two applicants from Haryana, who sought directions for admission to postgraduate medical courses under the Buddhist minority quota at Subharti Medical College in Uttar Pradesh, which has been declared a Buddhist minority educational institution.

The petitioners claimed that they had converted to Buddhism and produced certificates issued by the Sub-Divisional Officer stating that they belonged to the Buddhist minority community. Based on these certificates, they sought admission under the minority quota earmarked for Buddhists.

During the hearing, the Bench closely examined the social background of the petitioners. Noting that they belonged to the Puniya caste, the Chief Justice observed that Puniyas could either fall under the Scheduled Caste category or be part of the Jat community, which is generally classified under the general category.

When the court sought clarification, the petitioners’ counsel stated that they belonged to the Jat community. Questioning the basis of their minority status, the CJI asked how the petitioners could claim minority benefits after converting at a late stage purely for the purpose of admissions.

The counsel argued that any individual had the right to convert to Buddhism and that conversion itself entitled them to minority status. Rejecting the argument, the Chief Justice remarked that such actions amounted to “another form of fraud” and warned that they could undermine the rights of genuine and honest minority candidates.

“You are taking away the rights of real minorities,” the Bench observed, adding that the petitioners came from socially and economically well-off upper-caste backgrounds, owned agricultural land and had access to resources and privileges.

The court further noted that merit and hard work should be a source of pride for candidates from such backgrounds, rather than attempts to exploit constitutional safeguards meant for historically disadvantaged communities. The Bench’s strong observations highlight growing judicial concern over alleged misuse of minority quotas in professional education.

The matter is expected to have wider implications, as it raises fundamental questions about the ethics of last-minute religious conversions for educational benefits and the need to protect affirmative action policies from misuse.

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