Stories
OBC Reservation After Conversion: Mumbai High Court's Landmark Ruling
- •Mumbai High Court ruled that OBC reservation remains valid even after religious conversion.
- •Congress corporator Nanda Namdev Mhatre alias Nahida Irfan Thakur from Uran Municipal Council received significant relief.
- •The High Court overturned the Caste Certificate Committee's decision to cancel Mhatre's OBC caste certificate.
- •The court stated that a person's original 'Agri OBC' caste does not automatically cease to exist merely by converting to Islam.
- •The court cited government resolutions (GRs) clarifying that inter-religious marriage does not revoke OBC benefits.
Key Questions Answered
The Mumbai High Court recently ruled that interfaith marriage does not cancel the benefits of OBC concessions, citing state government decisions from 1983 and 1996. This ruling was made in a case involving a Congress corporator who converted to Islam but had her OBC caste certificate cancelled by the Caste Certificate Verification Committee.
The High Court decision regarding OBC reservation after conversion could have implications for other cases, as the Supreme Court is set to hear all cases challenging new guidelines on OBC reservation together. Additionally, the Supreme Court has previously stated that Scheduled Caste (SC) status is not applicable to those who convert to Christianity or Islam.
The Mumbai High Court has cancelled the Raigad District Caste Certificate Scrutiny Committee's decision from August 10, 2026, regarding Nanda Mhatre's OBC caste certificate. The High Court has ordered the committee to reconsider the case by November 23, 2026, taking into account government resolutions from January 29, 1983, and June 3, 1996, which state that interfaith marriage does not revoke OBC benefits.
