Q. Consider the following statements regarding minorities in India:

1. The Government of India has notified five communities—Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Buddhists, and Zoroastrians—as minorities.
2. The National Commission for Minorities was given statutory status in 1993.
3. The smallest religious minority in India are the Zoroastrians.
4. The Constitution of India recognises and protects religious and linguistic minorities.

Which of the above statements are correct?
Answer: 1, 2 and 4
Notes: Statements 1, 2, and 4 are correct. The Government of India recognizes five communities as minorities. The National Commission for Minorities gained statutory status in 1993. The Constitution protects both religious and linguistic minorities. Statement 3 is incorrect; although Zoroastrians are a minority, other religious minorities such as Jews have smaller population numbers in India.