New Delhi, Jan. 6: The Union cabinet today decided to promulgate an ordinance to empower the National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions.

Among the powers the ordinance will give to the commission is one to define a minority institution.

With the Centre enforcing reservations in all private colleges except minority institutions, the ordinance comes at a crucial time. It would ensure the bill exempts only eligible educational institutions.

After a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, defence minister Pranab Mukherjee said the cabinet approved the move to promulgate the ordinance and replace it with an act in the budget session of Parliament.

The decision came a day after Allahabad High Court rejected the Centre’s petition to restore minority status to Aligarh Muslim University and 50 per cent reservation of its seats for Muslims.

The constitutional amendment bill, passed at the recently-concluded winter session, makes it mandatory for institutions of higher education to reserve seats for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe students. But it exempts minority institutions, raising the question: what is a minority institution?

The BJP had opposed the constitutional amendment bill tooth and nail as had the Left parties, bringing into focus the need for a definition.

In Kerala, where most higher-educational institutions are minority institutions, MPs cutting across party lines demanded clear guidelines on the linguistic and minority criteria that would entitle an institution to minority status.

The commission will also be empowered to proceed against institutions misusing their minority status.