<p>The Supreme Court on Wednesday issued notice to the Centre on a fresh plea for making the Scheduled Castes community religion-neutral to enable Christians with the origin from the oppressed class to avail special privileges in education and employment.</p>.<p>A bench of Chief Justice S A Bobde and Justices B R Gavai and Surya Kant admitted a plea by the National Council of Dalit Christians (NCDC) for consideration, and sought a response from the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, National Commission for Scheduled Castes, National Commission for Minorities and Registrar General of India.</p>.<p>The court tagged the plea, along with a similar matter pending since 2004.</p>.<p>The plea, filed through advocate Franklin Caesar Thomas, contended that a Scheduled Caste person professing a religion different from Hinduism, Sikhism and Buddhism cannot be deprived of the benefit of Paragraph 3 of the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950.</p>.<p>The plea said that change in religion does not change social exclusion and caste hierarchy continues to hold fort within Christianity even though the religion forbids it.</p>.<p>It said that the restriction was against the fundamental right to equality, religious freedom and non-discrimination.</p>
<p>The Supreme Court on Wednesday issued notice to the Centre on a fresh plea for making the Scheduled Castes community religion-neutral to enable Christians with the origin from the oppressed class to avail special privileges in education and employment.</p>.<p>A bench of Chief Justice S A Bobde and Justices B R Gavai and Surya Kant admitted a plea by the National Council of Dalit Christians (NCDC) for consideration, and sought a response from the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, National Commission for Scheduled Castes, National Commission for Minorities and Registrar General of India.</p>.<p>The court tagged the plea, along with a similar matter pending since 2004.</p>.<p>The plea, filed through advocate Franklin Caesar Thomas, contended that a Scheduled Caste person professing a religion different from Hinduism, Sikhism and Buddhism cannot be deprived of the benefit of Paragraph 3 of the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950.</p>.<p>The plea said that change in religion does not change social exclusion and caste hierarchy continues to hold fort within Christianity even though the religion forbids it.</p>.<p>It said that the restriction was against the fundamental right to equality, religious freedom and non-discrimination.</p>
