Tata Trusts Clarifies Trustee Eligibility Amid Controversy
Religion is no disqualification for trustees: Tata Trusts note
The Economic TimesImage: The Economic Times
Tata Trusts has confirmed that there are no legal restrictions preventing non-Zoroastrians from serving as trustees at the Bai Hirabai JN Tata Navsari Charitable Institution. This clarification follows trustee Mehli Mistry's challenge regarding the eligibility of Venu Srinivasan and Vijay Singh based on their faith, leading to a significant internal dispute.
- 01Tata Trusts asserts no legal bar on non-Zoroastrians as trustees.
- 02Mehli Mistry questioned the eligibility of two trustees based on their faith.
- 03The internal note references a 2000 legal opinion by former Chief Justice MH Kania.
- 04Venu Srinivasan's resignation reduces the board to the minimum required number of trustees.
- 05The Bai Hirabai JN Tata Navsari Charitable Institution focuses on education and healthcare for the Parsi community.
Advertisement
In-Article Ad
Tata Trusts has stated that there are no legal barriers preventing non-Zoroastrians from serving as trustees at the Bai Hirabai JN Tata Navsari Charitable Institution, following a challenge from trustee Mehli Mistry regarding the eligibility of Venu Srinivasan and Vijay Singh. In an internal note to Tata Trusts chairman Noel Tata, CEO Siddharth Sharma referenced a 2000 opinion by former Chief Justice of India MH Kania, which deemed certain restrictive clauses in the trust deed as legally invalid. This clarification comes after Mistry's resignation as a trustee, which reduced the board to five members, the minimum required. The current board includes Noel Tata, Jimmy Tata, Darius Khambata, Jehangir H Jehangir, and Vijay Singh, the only non-Zoroastrian trustee. Mistry had previously backed off from challenging the leadership after his reappointment was not approved by a majority of trustees. He argued that Srinivasan and Singh did not meet eligibility criteria outlined in the trust deed, which he claimed requires trustees to be Zoroastrian and permanent residents of Mumbai. The Bai Hirabai JN Tata Navsari Charitable Institution, established in 1923, focuses on education and healthcare initiatives for the Parsi community in Navsari, Gujarat.
Advertisement
In-Article Ad
The clarification on trustee eligibility may affect the governance and decision-making processes within the Tata Trusts, which play a significant role in charitable initiatives for the Parsi community.
Advertisement
In-Article Ad
Reader Poll
Should religious affiliation be a factor in trustee eligibility for charitable organizations?
Connecting to poll...
More about Tata Trusts
Read the original article
Visit the source for the complete story.




