Caste is a totally social concept in India and does not have any religious basis

Contending that caste is a totally social concept in India and does not have any religious basis, it is understood to have said that appropriate action should be taken so as to completely delink the scheduled caste status from religion and make the scheduled castes net fully religion-neutral like that of the scheduled tribes.

The commission, headed by Justice Ranganath Misra, is understood to have said that all those groups and classes among the Muslims and Christians whose counterparts among the Hindus, Sikhs or Buddhists are included in the Central or state scheduled castes list should also be covered by the scheduled castes net.

Seeking to extend the scheduled caste status for those in minority communities, the National Commission for Linguistic and Religious Minorities is understood to have suggested a Constitutional amendment to completely delink such a status from religion. Deccan Herald » National » New Delhi, PTI: Tuesday, May 22, 2007