Minority, a category of people who are differentiated from others by society and mostly experience subordination.
Explanation
A minority is a people group who are due to various sort of characteristics are set apart from the rest.
The minority doesn't technically mean the number of them is reduced. It might be because of different characteristics like caste, sex, cultures, language, region etc.
In many areas, minorities have discrimination and many times their rights are questionable.
This is why supportive action came into play in order to safeguard the minority rights.