<span style="color: #222222;">The Supreme Court today dismissed a petition challenging the validity of the Centre's 26-year-old notification declaring five communities – Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists and Parsis – as minorities. </span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">A bench headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde refused to entertain the PIL seeking laying of guidelines to accord minority status based on state-wise population of a community. The bench which also comprised justices B R Gavai and Surya Kant said, religion must be considered pan-India.</span><br />