Supreme Court Flags Alleged Conversion for Reservation as “New Type of Fraud”
Background of the Case In January 2026, the Supreme Court of India strongly criticised an attempt by two upper-caste candidates from Haryana to claim minority reservation benefits for medical admissions after allegedly converting to Buddhism. The case arose from a petition filed by Nikhil Kumar Punia , a resident of Hisar, who sought admission to a postgraduate medical course under the Buddhist minority quota in Subharti Medical College, Uttar Pradesh , a recognised minority educational institution. The petition was heard by a Bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi . The Court dismissed the plea at the threshold, terming it a “new type of fraud” , while simultaneously seeking an explanation from the Chief Secretary of Haryana on the procedure adopted for issuing minority certificates. Core Legal Issue Before the Supreme Court The central legal question before the Court was: Can an upper-caste, general-category candidate claim minority reservati...