JUDGMENT :

Krishna Murari, J.

1. These appeals are directed against the judgment and order dated 30.03.2018 passed by a Full Bench of the High Court of Judicature at Allahabad (hereinafter referred to as ‘the High Court’), The reference to Full Bench came to be made under the following circumstances: -

1.1 Writ Petition No. 61449 of 2009, Smt. Madhuri Srivasatava Vs. State of U.P. & Ors., (2016) 6 SCC OnLine AII 2832 along with other connected petitions were filed by certain landholders whose land was acquired by NOIDA challenging the decision of the Board of Directors of NOIDA dated 07.01.1998 as also the approval granted to the said resolution by the State Government dated 02.03.2009 whereby a distinction was carved out in the matter of payment of compensation by creating a classification between “Pushtaini” and “Gair-pushtaini” landholders. The ‘Pushtaini’ landholders whose lands were acquired, were given additional compensation @ Rs.3 per sq. yard along with 15% as rehabilitation bonus on the compensation already awarded, as also the 10% area of the acquired land, whereas those who were declared as ‘Gair-pushtaini’ were denied this additional benefit. A Division Bench of the High Court vide Judgment and order dated 10.05.2016 dismissed the Writ Petition holding the classification to be reasonable having direct nexus with the object sought to be achieved i.e., rehabilitation of the original residents who are likely to become landless due to the acquisition of their land.

2. Another bunch of Writ Petitions were filed by the present appellants challenging a similar classification made by the Greater Noida Authority (hereinafter referred to as ‘G Noida’) in payment of compensation on the basis of the landholder being ‘Pushtaini’ and ‘Gair-Pushtaini’.

3. While considering the Writ Petitions, another Division Bench disagreed with the views expressed in the case of Smt. Madhuri (Supra) and vide order dated 07.07.2017 referred the matter to be decided by a larger Bench.

4. The Full Bench constituted in pursuance to the reference framed the following questions for adjudication :-

(i) Whether the law laid down by a Division Bench of this Court in the case of Smt. Madhuri Srivastava reported in (2016) 6 ADJ 1 is in conflict to the law laid down by the Supreme Court in the case of Nagpur Improvement Trust and Another Vs. Vithal Rao and Ors., (1973) 1 SCC 500 and also with the provisions of the LAND ACQUISITION ACT , 1894?

(ii) Whether the classification made under the U.P. Land Acquisition (determination of compensation and declaration of award by agreement) Rules, 1997, the distinction made among ‘Pushtaini’ and ‘Gair-Pushtaini’ farmers, is a classification having reasonable nexus with the object sought to be achieved?

5. Vide impugned judgment and order dated 30.03.2018, the Full Bench answered question No. 1 in negative and question No. 2 in affirmative and upheld the view taken by the Division Bench in the case of Smt. Madhuri Srivastava (Supra). As a consequence of the answers to the questions framed, the Full Bench held that nothing remains to be decided in the Writ Petitions filed by the present appellants and the same were dismissed.

6. Before we enter into the factual matrix of the case, we find it expedient to first trace out the etymology of the words “Pushtaini” and “Gair Pushtaini” used in the impugned classification, for language, once adopted inside the realm of law, mater