K. NARAYANA KURUP, J.

The Managing Trustee of Thirumuruga Kirupananda Variyar Thavathiru Sundara Swamigal Medical, Educational and Charitable Trust, Salem (hereinafter referred to as the "Trust") had submitted an application to the Government of Tamil Nadu in terms of the guidelines laid down by the Government in G.O.Ms. No. 371, Education, Science and Technology Department, dated 10-5-1995, for declaring the medical institutions (subject-matter of this writ appeal) run by it at Salem as a Linguistic minority institution. The Government, after verification of the documents produced by the Trust, declared, vide G.O.Ms. No. 532, Health and Family Welfare Department, dated 27-10-1997, that the Vinayaga Missions' Kirupananda Variyar Medical College run by the appellant/Trust is eligible for minority status on linguistic basis for 1997-98 (?) and the Chairman of the appellant/Trust was directed to admit students in the medical College run by it for the aforesaid year in the ratio of 50 : 50. Thereafter, the appellant sent a letter dated 20-1-1998 claiming extension of minority status to the institutions run by it for the year 1998-99. However, the Government, as per letter No