New Delhi: The Supreme Court has issued a notice to the Centre on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that said the minorities were not being classified at the state level under the National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions (NCMEI) Act.
BJP leader advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay filed the PIL in the apex court.
Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists and Parsees are classified as religious minorities by the Centre. Jains were also included on this list in 2014.
The Supreme Court had made it clear in the 2002 verdict of the T M A Pai case that the religious and linguistic minorities can be determined state-wise. However, the Centre did not take action, the petitioner pointed out.
Also, followers of Judaism, Bahaism and Hinduism are a minority in Ladakh, Mizoram, Lakshadweep, Kashmir, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Punjab and Manipur. However, they are not classified thus on a state-level. These minorities are denied the Constitutional right to establish and administer educational institutions, the petitioner contended.
Muslims are in majority in Lakshadweep and Kashmir, while Christians form the majority in Nagaland, Mizoram, and Meghalaya. They have a strong presence in other states too. However, when considered at a national level, these communities are classified as minorities, the petition pointed out.
