"The Jains are very happy at the fulfilling of the longstanding demand of being considered as a minority," said president of Jharkhand State Digambar Jain Yuva Mahasabha Ajay Jain Gangwal.
"The decision will help development of the community's education, religious temples and places, institutions and pilgrim places," he said.
Convening a meeting and exchanging sweets, he thanked AICC president Sonia Gandhi, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Union Minority Affairs Minister K Rahman Khan.
The Union cabinet yesterday approved the proposal for according the Jains as a minority community.