The Union Government has constituted a three-member commission to examine whether Scheduled Caste (SC) status can be accorded to new persons who claim to have historically belonged to the SC community but have converted to other religions. The Commission has to give its report within a period of 2 years and the headquarters of the Commission shall be at New Delhi.

The Central Government has appointed a three-member commission in the exercise of powers conferred by section 3 of the Commissions of Inquiry Act, 1952 (60 of 1952), consisting of the following persons, namely:-

Justice K. G. Balakrishnan, (Ex-Chief Justice of India)
Members
i) Dr. Ravinder Kumar Jain, IAS (Retd) (HP- 1981)
ii) Prof. (Dr.) Sushma Yadav, (Member, UGC) 

The term of reference of the Comission are:-

(i) to examine the matter of according Scheduled Caste status to new persons, who claim to historically have belonged to the Scheduled Castes, but have converted to a religion other than those mentioned in the Presidential Orders issued from time to time under article 341 of the Constitution;

(ii) to examine the implications on the existing Scheduled Castes, of adding such new persons as part of the existing list of Scheduled Castes;

(iii) to examine the changes Scheduled Caste persons go through on converting to other religions in terms of their customs, traditions, social and other status discrimination and deprivation, and the implication of the same on the question of giving them Scheduled Caste status; and

(iv) to examine any other related questions that the Commission deems appropriate, in consultation with and with the consent of the Central Government.