ORDER

In these matters relating to admission to professional courses in medicine, engineering, pharmacy, nursing, etc. in educational institutions which are claimed to be Minority Educational Institutions, the petitioners have questioned the applicability of the scheme framed by this Court in J. P. Unni Krishnan v. State of Andhra Pradesh, (1993) 1 SCC 645, as well as the applicability of the Rules and Orders made by several State Governments on the basis of the said decision. By order dated October 7,1993 [reported in 1993 (4) SCC 286] passed by the Constitution Bench three questions were referred for consideration by a larger Bench. In pursuance of the said order, this Bench has been constituted. When the matters were taken up on March 16, 1994, the Court felt that it was necessary to reframe the first two questions. The hearing of the matters was, therefore, adjourned to March 18, 1994, on which date the questions requiring consideration by this Bench have been reframed to highlight the several aspects of the claims put forward by the petitioners. The claim of being a "minority" - whether based on religion or language - and the claim of being a "minority" educational institution"