*Rev. Stainislaus v. State of Madhya Pradesh* (1977)
This is the foundational Supreme Court precedent on the constitutionality of state anti-conversion laws. A Constitution Bench upheld the Madhya Pradesh and Odisha Freedom of Religion Acts, holding that the "right to propagate" under Article 25(1) does not include a fundamental right to convert another person, since forced or induced conversion impinges on the "freedom of conscience" of the person being converted.
- Decided January 17, 1977; reported at AIR 1977 SC 908
- Held that state legislatures have competence to enact anti-conversion laws under the "public order" head, since forced conversions can provoke communal tension
- This ruling remains the constitutional basis cited by every state anti-conversion/"freedom of religion" law enacted since, including Odisha (1967), Madhya Pradesh (1968), and more recent laws such as Uttar Pradesh's Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act (2021)
● Tracked since March 13, 2026 · last seen August 25, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes
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